Zero Hour
by Paradaisu
Summary: Enterprise answers Columbia's distress call only to encounter a lethal virus that is silently spreading… The clock ticks as it takes hold and the crew of Enterprise is brought to face the reality that many of them may not make it. An unexpected few are called upon and must fight the clock to save their friends.
1. Chapter 1

**Zero Hour**

 _ **.**_

 **Warning:** Please be aware that over the course of this story it will contain coarse language, violence,*possible* character death, and the like. If that's not your thing, that's cool, but you may want to hit that back button now. However, if it _is_ your thing then please proceed and let me know what you think!

 **Disclaimer:** Star Trek - don't own, don't profit, just having a bit of fun.

* * *

"The trouble is, you think you have time." – Jack Kornfield

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

The crew of _Enterprise_ had been eager to be back, or rather most of them were. Captain Archer, however, remained a bit cautious about returning to their primary objective of exploration after all that had occurred in the Delphic Expanse. In fact, he felt like a completely different person since returning. Somebody he did not know, somebody he was not sure he wanted to know. He had done despicable things. People had died. And yet it had all been necessary. However, knowing that fact still did not shake him of the guilt he felt. Following a meltdown during the debriefing, Admiral Forrest had forced him to take two weeks leave. He was not ready to face what he so desperately was trying to avoid, but Archer had little choice. In the end he resigned himself to at least try and seek some sort of antidote for the guilt he harbored. What he found instead was the realization of just how naïve and impetuous he had been in the three years prior, but he vowed that all that would change.

This time their return to the business of exploration would be different. Archer planned on acting with more than a modicum of caution. He requested that a team of MACOs remain aboard the ship as support for Tactical, and surprisingly Lieutenant Reed did not object. Perhaps it was because of the rapport that Reed had developed with the late Major Hayes. Perhaps it was because he felt he owed the man something. Hayes had been one of the ones to die, and those that had survived carried the burden of remembering the others who did not. The only other person who seemed less than enthused was Commander Tucker who, since returning from his shore leave on Vulcan, had become far more quiet and reserved.

But now, after a few weeks back, and bit of time spent finding their footing, the crew, as well as Captain, seemed to settle back into a degree of familiar normality. In fact, for the past week things had taken a rather monotonous turn, which suited Captain Archer just fine, and that particular night began as no exception.

The bridge crew was quiet. Lieutenant Reed was wearing a glazed over expression. He was staring rather dispassionately at the bulkhead and it appeared as though he had not blinked in several minutes. It would be another four hours until shift change and Travis could barely stifle a yawn as he looked around hoping no one had noticed. As he glanced around he spotted Hoshi who was bent over the Communications station and was frowning. After a moment her eyes widened and she glanced over at Captain Archer.

"Uh, Captain?"

"Yes, Ensign Sato?" Captain Archer replied as she seemed to shake him out of some internal musing.

"Uh, Sir, I'm picking up a distress signal," she said.

"Who is it from?" Archer straightened in his chair. Hoshi looked nervous.

"It's the _Columbia_ , Sir," she said.

"The _Columbia_? You're sure?" Archer stared incredulously as Hoshi nodded and glanced over at T'Pol who had looked up from her station to lock eyes with Sato. Archer glanced at T'Pol who then spoke.

"Captain, Ensign Sato, is correct. I'm picking up what appears to be the _Columbia_ on the long range scanners," said T'Pol. Archer's eyes widened. Fighting the growing lump that had materialized in the back of his throat he swallowed before he addressed Travis at the helm. He needed to appear calm, remain calm, for his crew at least.

"Ensign Mayweather, how far off are they at present?"

"Five hours, Sir, give or take," Travis said looking back at Captain Archer.

"And how long would it take to reach them traveling at best speed?"

"About three hours, Sir," Travis said. Archer swallowed again, but the lump remained. Taking a deep breath he set his chin.

"Alright, the set a course for their location," said Archer.

"Yes, Captain," said Travis as he laid in the course.

* * *

Three hours later and the _Columbia_ loomed into sight. It sat unmoving, floating there in front of them as pristine as the day of its maiden voyage. Archer thought it was strange seeing it drifting in space as it seemed as though only yesterday he was on board discussing the new tactical upgrades with Captain Hernandez.

After hailing the ship, they had since learned that _Columbia's_ first officer had ordered the distress call as Captain Hernandez and the _Columbia's_ chief science officer, Commander Watanabe, had become quite ill rather quickly at almost the precise moment that the ship's warp reactor as well as the aft and ventral thrusters went offline. The _Columbia_ was stuck unmoving and with no way to maneuver. It was an unfortunate coincidence. Their chief engineer was working around the clock to get them up and running again, but it had seemed that both Hernandez and Watanabe were too sick to wait.

The _Columbia's_ first officer informed them that four days prior Captain Hernandez had manned a shuttle along with an away team and landed on what appeared to be an uninhabited planetoid. They had decided to go down after learning that the planetoid was rich in Dilithium. It was only after the team returned from their explorative mission that she and Watanabe became ill. No one else was sick, and the _Columbia's_ Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ruben, had ordered everyone that had gone down to the planetoid a thorough run through in Decon as well as a full blood panel workup after Captain Hernandez and Commander Watanabe, started showing symptoms.

It was soon discovered that the pathogen was some sort of virus. It was also discovered that it could only be spread via direct contact which begged the question as to how Captain Hernandez and Commander Watanabe were infected as they had both had been wearing EV suits. Captain Archer had little time to puzzle over the how of it all; he just wanted to know if they were contagious. When he was assured that there was little risk of infection as direct contact was necessary he immediately consulted with Dr. Phlox and requested that Captain Hernandez be transported to _Enterprise_.

Initially, Phlox was hesitant; however after consulting with _Columbia's_ CMO he eventually warmed to the idea after considering there was no health risk to the crew _Enterprise_. He even suggested that _Columbia's_ CMO would be free to work solely with Commander Watanabe and himself with Captain Hernandez and that the two of them could then exchange information regarding treatment efficacy.

And so it was decided. Once Archer was informed that Captain Hernandez was to be made ready for transport he jumped up and began to make strides toward the lift. Archer looked back at the crew who all had eyes on him.

"Lieutenant Reed, you have the Conn," he said.

"Aye, Sir," Malcolm replied as he moved from his seat at Tactical.

The lift lurched as it came to life and Archer felt his stomach rise, rather unpleasantly, as it began to descend toward the Transporter Deck. When he arrived on the level Commander Tucker was already at the controls. Tucker looked over when he heard the lift open. Captain Archer walked over to stand next to him.

"You know, Sir, I don't think this a good idea. I mean I know it's Erika an all…" He trailed off when he saw the look on Archer's face.

"Trip, enough." He sighed. He knew Commander Tucker's concern was understandable; however they were taking every precaution. Although there was little risk, Captain Hernandez was to arrive in an airtight bio-bed. "Where's Phlox?" He asked frowning when he realized the good doctor was absent.

"He's on his way, Cap'n. Should be here any minute," Trip said, glancing at Archer apprehensively. Just then the transporter came to life. A bio-bed and a medical technician materialized before them. Archer ran up to the pad and assisted the tech in wheeling the bio-bed off and into the hallway. Trip followed closely behind.

As Archer looked down he could see Erika through the tempered glass. She was white. Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent. When she opened her eyes he could see that they were bloodshot. It was a jarring sight. When she fixed her eyes on him she frowned slightly before she seemed to recognize him.

"Jon…" Her voice was barely a whisper, and was further muffled by the fact that she was inside the sealed chamber. Archer could see the inside of her mouth was tinged with blood as her lips moved. His stomach knotted. She was far worse than he had expected. All the reports had said she had taken seriously ill, but this was _bad_. Trip looked down his eyes wide.

"She doesn't look good," he whispered unable to conceal the shock that had spread over his face. Just then Dr. Phlox appeared.

"Captain Archer, if you don't mind," he said waving an arm to indicate that Archer should step back. "Hillard, will fill me in on what I need to know, but right now we need to get Captain Hernandez to Sick Bay," said Phlox indicating to _Columbia's_ medical technician that had accompanied Captain Hernandez. Both Archer and Tucker took a step back as Phlox and Hillard made quick strides to wheel Erika back to Sick Bay. Almost in the same moment one of the MACOs appeared in the hallway. She flattened herself against the wall as Phlox and Hillard rushed past. She glanced down at the bio-bed before looking over at Archer. When they made eye contact she pressed her lips together in sympathy before continuing down the hall.

"She'll be alright. Phlox's is going to fix her right up… Just remember how many bugs we picked up while on away missions," said Trip uneasily, as he glanced at Archer. Archer seemed unfocused as he watched the shrinking form of the MACO disappear down the hall and for a moment Trip was not sure if the Captain had heard him. Finally, Archer looked at Trip.

"I want to you head on over to _Columbia_ ," he said.

"Wait, what? Do you think that is a good idea? What with the virus and all?" Archer sighed. He knew Trip had a thing about germs.

"The CMO on _Columbia_ has assured us that it is not spread through casual contact. You'll be fine. The bio-bed was just an extra precaution. I want you to see if you can lend a hand to the Chief Engineer over there. See if the reactor and the thrusters going offline had something to do with the recent upgrades," said Archer. Trip pressed his lips together, but nodded in affirmation.

"Aye Captain, just give me a minute to pop on over to Engineering to grab some things and let Kelby know where I'll be," said Trip. Archer nodded. Trip turned on his heel and headed for the lift. Archer watched as the lift closed and Trip disappeared before he finally allowed himself to breathe. He could not shake the image of Erika with blood in her mouth from his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Three weeks prior…**

Trip was glancing around the Mess Hall, plate in hand, when he spotted Malcolm who was sitting at their usual table. As he made quick strides to the table he saw that Malcolm was surrounded by three PADDs, a cup of tea, and a half picked over plate of food. He barely seemed to notice Trip as he sat down, only mumbling a brief greeting in his direction before taking a sip of tea and scrolling through one of the three PADDs.

"Hey Malcolm, what'cha got there?" Trip asked as he picked up his fork.

"Inventory," he said briefly. Malcolm was not exactly in the mood for a chat, but then again he was not exactly in the mood to be going through _Enterprise's_ weapons inventory either. Sniffing, he glanced at Trip and then at Trip's plate. "What _is_ that?"

"Pan-fried catfish. Chef made it special for yours truly," Trip said as he took a bite. Malcolm frowned.

"And must you eat it here?" He watched as Trip took another larger bite and closed his eyes clearly relishing every bit of it. Finally, after a moment he came up for air, grinning.

"Oh, quit your belly aching," said Trip. "Anyway, have you been up to see Travis?"

"I stopped by this morning. He looks a little better," said Malcolm.

"Yeah, I wonder how long it'll take for his eyebrows to grow back," said Trip. Malcolm made a noise. It was true that the poor lad looked more than a little strange without eyebrows. Trip continued to eat his catfish with gusto. Malcolm glanced at his plate again. At least it was not 'gator tail' this time. Apparently, eating alligator was something Floridians did. Trip had once offered for him to try some and Malcolm had balked at the proposition. Trip swore it tasted like chicken; however Malcolm had countered if that were so then why bother with eating alligator at all. Eating the tails off gigantic semi-aquatic swamp reptiles was not high on Malcolm's list of things to do.

"So, have you seen the new MACOs?" Trip asked forking some asparagus.

"Of course, you know I have. I _am_ the Tactical Officer. I was there when they boarded," he said, returning his attention to his PADD.

"So I take it you've seen Corporal Carr then?" Trip was all mock seriousness, and Malcolm instantly recognized the tone in his voice. He knew exactly where Commander Tucker was going, and he was not about to entertain his notion.

"If you are referring to the pint-sized one, I have," said Reed, stiffly. He shifted his focus back to the PADD. "I'm surprised they made them that small," he muttered.

"Aww, don't judge a book by its cover. Besides they let you become a Tactical Officer," said Trip a lop-sided grin forming as Malcolm scowled.

"Well, I'll give her one thing. She has the highest marks for sharpshooting. Certainly, the best I've seen. Much higher than Amanda Cole's were. And she's logged the most hours in an EV suit," he said. Trip raised his eyebrows.

"You seem to know a lot about her already," said Trip. Lieutenant Reed rolled his eyes.

"Listen, it's my job to know about _all_ the MACOs, and I know where you are going with this, Mr. Tucker, and I believe there's a saying – _don't dip your nib in the office ink_."

"Well, let me remind you that the MACOs aren't Starfleet," said Commander Tucker.

Just then T'Pol walked in and she glanced at Trip before she walked over to the replicator. Malcolm watched as Trip's demeanor soured and he began absentmindedly pushing the asparagus around on his plate.

"So what is going on between you and the Commander?" He leaned toward Trip conspiratorially and inclined his head, his eyes flicking in T'Pol's direction.

"Nothing. T'Pol and I are fine," said Trip. Malcolm leaned back, unconvinced. He had noticed that Trip had not been acting quite himself since he returned from shore leave and it was especially apparent anytime T'Pol was around.

"Well, something is going on between you two. Whether you'll admit it is another thing entirely." Trip remained quiet for a moment before he moved to stand. Clearly, Commander Tucker was not taking the bait. Malcolm glanced at Trip's half empty plate.

"Well, I really should head back to Engineering. Those plasma relays won't change out themselves," said Trip. Tucker's former jocular mood had all but disappeared.

"Trip, I didn't mean–"

"Malcolm, it's fine. I really should get back. I'll talk to you later," he said quickly. And with that he turned and left the Mess Hall. Malcolm sighed. He knew himself to be a rather closed book, but it seemed that Commander Tucker could be too at times. He shook his head and took another sip of his tea before picking up his PADD again.

* * *

T'Pol was distracted. She was trying to land a punch on the MACO Aries Carr, her sparring partner for the evening, but the Corporal was surprisingly fast. She tried to clear her mind, but her thoughts kept returning to Trip unbidden. She had seen him in the Mess Hall earlier while she was ordering a cup of tea and had watched as Commander Tucker left without so much as a glance in her direction. She suspected that her marriage to Koss was most likely the cause for his sudden change in attitude, but there was nothing she could do about it. She had done what she had to do. She had done it to help her mother.

T'Pol arched back as Corporal Carr made a move to strike her, but she did not move quickly enough to prevent the Corporal from landing a blow to her knee. It was painful, but bearable. Like her emotions. Her mind wandered to Commander Tucker again. Underneath her calm exterior she could not shake the feeling that she had done something wrong. That she had somehow made the wrong choice. It was hard to tell anymore, and she vowed not to let her mind dwell there long. It was dangerous territory, and she feared if she spent too much time there it would consume her.

Refocusing on her sparring partner she moved to strike back at Corporal Carr, but the young woman ducked out of reach. They were fairly evenly matched, both with similar lean body types although Carr was a little shorter. T'Pol's natural Vulcan strength gave her some advantage although she knew that the current state of mental disturbance probably evened things out a bit. _Why could not she focus?_

Just then Carr made an offensive move with her left leg to sweep T'pol off her feet, but T'Pol quickly reacted jumping and rolling. Carr stopped and smiled waving her hands to indicate a pause in their session.

"Hey, what do you call that?" asked Carr.

"Call what?"

"That thing– that maneuver you just did," she said. Corporal Carr wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. T'Pol noticed she had a thin white scar that ran from the base of her nose all the way through her lips to her chin. It did not distract from her otherwise pretty appearance, but T'Pol wondered why she had not noticed it before. _She was distracted._

"It's a defensive move called the _Narvorkot_. It's typically used to avoid a weapon strike when the opponent is armed, but it can be used to avoid other unarmed offensive maneuvers," said T'Pol.

"I like that. Would you mind– Could you show me, Commander?" she asked stepping forward. T'Pol nodded and moved to position Corporal Carr as she began carefully explaining each step of the maneuver. After about one or two tries Carr seemed to get the hang of it.

"You learn something new every day. Thanks, Commander," said Carr, a little out of breath as she flopped onto the mat on her back rather unceremoniously. In that moment, T'Pol was reminded of Commander Tucker and the numerous times he had 'flopped' in a similar manner in her presence, and T'Pol felt her heart clench. She quickly suppressed the feeling, and reached a hand down to assist Corporal Carr in standing up.

"It was nothing," said T'Pol gripping her hand.

"Thanks," said Carr letting go quickly once she regained her balance. She was aware Vulcans were touch telepaths, and she did not want the Commander to make herself uncomfortable for her sake. Quickly wiping herself off she repositioned herself into a defensive stance as the two of them were about to go for another round. Just then Major Flynn, the man who had replaced Major Haynes, signaled for everyone to stop.

"Alright, everyone, you can go ahead and wrap it up. We will resume our next sparring session on Thursday night at 1900 hours," he said. T'Pol was silently disappointed as that was in two days' time, and would mean that she have to make do with meditation. Almost as if she picked up on her thoughts, Corporal Carr, followed after T'Pol.

"Excuse me, Commander," she said after grabbing a towel and water and jogging briskly to catch up with T'Pol as she was leaving.

"Yes?"

"Would you be interested in supplementing the sparring sessions? I really could use the practice, and you seem to have some tricks up your sleeve. Would you be interested in practicing with me again tomorrow night?" Corporal Carr looked a little apprehensive as though she worried that T'Pol might decline. Surprisingly, T'Pol found the prospect of further stamping out her emotions through physical means quite amenable.

"Yes, that would be agreeable," said T'Pol. Corporal Carr smiled brightly, her scar slightly more pronounced, as she took a sip of her water.

"Alright then, does 1900 hours work for you?"

"Yes," T'Pol replied, simply.

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then," said Carr as they exited the gym. T'Pol watched as Corporal Carr turned down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. T'Pol frowned inwardly. She had to get Trip out of her mind.

* * *

Hoshi stared down at her spaghetti and idly twirled her fork in the noodles. She tried to imagine that they were Kake Soba complete with her grandmother's dashi broth. It was a bit of a stretch. Her grandmother still made her dashi from scratch. It was rare these days that someone would go through all the effort, but her grandmother was old-fashioned. She had not always liked Soba noodles, but eventually developed a fondness for them as she got older, and found it was one of the few things she missed on the extended away missions aboard _Enterprise_. She thought perhaps she could ask Chef to make some for her, but doubted that they would taste the same. She sighed as she began eating her spaghetti, and watched as Travis came into the Mess Hall. Once he grabbed a plate he headed over to where Hoshi sat.

"Hey Hosh," he said brightly. His eyebrows had only started to grow back.

"Hey Travis," said Hoshi, looking up. She involuntarily glanced at his brow, and pressed her lips together.

"Stop looking at me like that, Hosh," he said.

"I'm sorry, Travis, it's just so… distracting," she said. She gave him a sympathetic smile.

"You know I can leave–," he started. He looked mildly perturbed, and Hoshi immediately felt bad.

"No, no! I'm sorry, really. Please sit, I was just lamenting for some company actually," she said. Travis forced a small smile and moved to sit next to her.

"I wish they'd hurry up and grow back. I'm sick of everyone staring," he said as he watched two MACOs walk by and glance, furtively, in his direction.

"Aww, they will. Look, I can see that they are already starting to come in a little," she said reassuringly. Travis sighed.

"I don't know why, but I'm so tired," he said as he picked up his fork.

"It must be in the water. Although, I think it's just that _I'm_ a little tired of the monotony," she said continuing to slowly eat her meal. Not that they had been back for all that long, but still she was getting a little bored. She glanced at Travis's plate. He was eating some sort of fish with rice and vegetables. Hoshi briefly wondered why she ordered spaghetti.

"Hey, can I ask you a question? Does Captain Archer seem to be off to you?" Travis asked as he took a bite of his meal.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. He just seems… different. I don't know. Maybe I'm reading too much in to it," he said.

"Maybe a little. I think it's just he's a bit more cautious. The Expanse was really hard on him. I think he feels a bit responsible for all the lives lost."

"It was hardly his fault. We had to make some tough decisions out there. Decisions that meant life or death for someone either way," said Travis. Hoshi chewed quietly as they sat for a moment.

"I just want to go back to the way things were before, you know? I mean, nothing crazy, of course, but maybe first contact with a species whose language isn't in the universal translator," Hoshi said. She twirled her spaghetti one last time before she set her fork down. It no longer held any appeal, and she decided that she wasn't going to eat it. "I just don't want to get too complacent," she said. Travis shook his head.

"After all we've been through a little complacency is good, Hosh. You have to be careful what you wish for. I mean, look what happened to me," said Travis as pointed at his brow. Hoshi pressed her lips together again. Of course Travis was right. What was she thinking? After the Expanse, she should be grateful for the respite. People died in the Expanse, friends, colleagues, and yet she was lamenting about being bored. That she wanted a challenge. She had survived, and still it was not enough. She sighed, disgusted with herself. _Be careful what you wish for_. She replayed Travis's words in her mind. _Lest it come true_ , she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Nearly three weeks had passed and Engineering was running smoother than it ever had. Commander Tucker had kept himself busy with even the most trivial of details in an effort to keep his mind off of T'Pol. None of which, of course, was working. His mind continued to be drawn to her like a magnet, and he was starting to wonder if he would ever get over her. Trip did not exactly blame T'Pol for what happened between them, but he was hurt nonetheless. He knew that she had married Koss to secure her mother's position. Trip knew more than most the importance of family, and felt perhaps if he had been in a similar situation he might have done the same. At least that is what he told himself. But after watching T'Pol and Koss's wedding ceremony he only felt sick.

His thoughts shifted back to the memory of that day. T'Pol had looked both sad and heartbreakingly beautiful. She had hide her emotions well and although her façade of calm did little to give away what she was truly feeling, Trip had known. He could recall every detail of how she looked that day. She was dressed in a dusty lavender gown and a matching lace veil had covered her hair. He had never seen her look so radiate. He had briefly wondered if that was how she might have looked at their wedding. _Their wedding._ As if such an event could have ever taken place. What was he thinking? That he would have eventually married T'Pol? They were from two totally different cultures, and nearly polar opposites. Not to mention they argued all the time. Hell, she did not even eat meat which was a staple in his diet. Even still it _was_ what he thought. A part of him had always imagined he was going to marry T'Pol. His dusty, desert rose.

Now, he could barely look at her. Of course she remained the same, perfect as ever, forever burned on his heart. And he knew that she was hurting just as badly as he was. He could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him. But now all he could think of when he saw her was her and Koss. He wondered if _that_ man – he could not bear to say his name – was laying claim to what was rightfully his. It made him sick to imagine his hands on her. Touching her. He felt bile rise in his throat and did his best to swallow his disgust.

The more he thought about it the more he realized he was disgusted with himself. He should have fought for her. He should have told her how he felt. That he loved her. Perhaps if he had they would be together now. But it was all too late. Angrily, he focused on the task at hand. He was doing his damnedest to buff the outside of the Warp core of any scuffs and scratches and back into a glossy, factory shine. Perhaps it was not completely necessary, but he had to admit it sure did look good. And he was determined to do just about anything to get her off his mind.

Just as he was finishing and began contemplating what he could do next to busy himself he heard Captain Archer's voice crack over the comm.

"Captain Archer to Commander Tucker." Trip walked over and pressed the button on the comm.

"Tucker, here," he said, waiting.

"Trip, I need you to report to my ready room," said Archer. Trip felt a frown beginning to form. Captain Archer sounded odd, and for a brief moment Trip forgot about T'Pol.

"Aye, Cap'n," he said. "I'll be there right away."

* * *

Captain Archer waited in his ready room with T'Pol as they waited for Commander Tucker to arrive. They had just received the distress call from _Columbia._ T'Pol was standing with her arms folded neatly behind her back as Archer fiddled with a stylus on his desk. He was lost in thought. Just then his door chimed. He knew it was Trip.

"Come in," he said. Trip wore a look of concern as he walked in, but some unrecognizable emotion flickered across his features when he glanced over and saw T'Pol. Archer took no notice. He was too preoccupied with thinking about the distress call. Trip moved to stand next to T'Pol, but not to close.

"Captain," said Trip.

"Listen, we've just received a distress call from _Columbia_ ," said Captain Archer rubbing the bridge of his nose. Trip's face morphed into one of surprise.

"Wait, what? You're sure it's the _Columbia_? I mean it's only been three or so weeks since she left dry dock," said Trip.

"Yes, we're sure. T'Pol confirmed that it's the _Columbia_ on sensors," said Archer. Trip glanced at T'Pol briefly. She returned his gaze before turning her attention back to the Captain.

"What happened?"

"We aren't sure yet. They aren't responding to our transmissions, however I'm hoping once we get there we'll know more," said Archer. Trip ran a hand through his hair.

"So we are on our way then? Alright. When are we due to arrive?"

"A little less than three hours. I've asked Ensign Mayweather to travel at best speed, Warp 4.8, so I'll need you to keep an eye on the engines," said Captain Archer. The Captain looked weary. Like a man who had weathered a storm, and was staring yet another in the face.

"Of course, Cap'n, I'm surprised you should even ask. It's the injectors I'm worried about, but they've been pushed harder and for longer before so they should be fine," said Trip.

"Good. Listen, I know it's late, but I'll also need you to remain on standby. I might need your help once we find out what going on," said Archer.

"Yes, Sir, of course," said Trip. Archer sighed and was quiet for a moment. Trip frowned waiting for Captain Archer. When he remained quiet Commander Tucker finally spoke. "Is that all, Cap'n?"

"Yes, sorry, you may leave Commanders," said Archer. Trip nodded and excused himself to return to Engineering. He knew that they would hold, but he still wanted to double check the injectors what with Travis pushing Warp 4.8 for the next three hours. T'Pol glanced at Archer and excused herself as well before following behind Trip.

"Commander Tucker," she called after him. Trip stopped, his back straightening, but he did not turn around and instead continued down the hall as though he had not heard her. T'Pol had to jog to catch up to him. "Commander," she repeated, but this time she placed a hand on his arm. He stopped, and rounded to T'Pol.

"What do you want, T'Pol?" The question had come out harsher than he had intended almost like a hiss. Her face was placid, but he could see the hurt behind her eyes again. He recognized it because it was the same pain he felt. They only stared at each other for a moment. Finally, T'Pol spoke.

"I'm sorry, Trip," she said quietly looking down at the floor. She wanted to say more, but she could not. She was Vulcan after all. It was hard enough to express her emotionally charged apology as inadequate as it was.

"I know you are, T'Pol," sighed Trip, his tone less sibilant than before. He knew she was regretting her decision, but it _had_ been her decision. He gently unhooked her hand from his arm. The brief contact was electric and he felt his former resolve crumbling. Suddenly, he found he could barely fight the urge to pull her into his arms and never let her go. Shaking his head, he steeled himself.

"Listen, I just… _can't_ right now. Alright?" He stared into her eyes briefly before turning away afraid of what he might do or might say if he remained any longer. Without another word he turned and started again toward Engineering, and T'Pol was left standing there, a lump in her throat forming in his wake.

* * *

Corporal Aries Carr was distracted. She was vaguely aware that she was running, but it felt weirdly automatic, like she was not in control. She was on autopilot. Each foot fall echoed dull and distant in the back of her mind. She could not get the image of the woman's face out of her mind. The woman in the bio-bed she had seen in the hall. Her face so white and pale like winter snow. Like Helen had been. _Helen._ She felt her stomach knot. She had not thought of Helen for some time. Her heart rate increased at the thought of her and at the image of the woman with the bloodshot eyes that had floated to the forefront of her mind. She knew her to be the Captain of the _Columbia_. But her sad, pale face was soon replaced by the image of Helen again. Slowly, the footsteps in her mind drummed louder and faster, and finally something grabbed her arm.

"Carr!" Aries jumped and looked around. Her eyes began to focus as she searched for the owner of the voice. Suddenly, a man came into view. It was Corporal Apollo Diaz. She had forgotten that she was warming up with him. He looked out of breath as he jogged to catch up with her.

"Jesus, Carr, I was calling your name about fifty times," he said, jovially. Aries slowed her stride allowing for Diaz to catch up. She had not realized she was sprinting.

"Sorry, I guess I just zoned out. I'm a little distracted," she said. Apollo smiled. One of those dazzling toothy white smiles. He looked like the poster child for the MACOs. He was six foot four and packed a lean 237 pounds. He was exactly the type of guy you would want on your brute squad when shit hit the fan or maybe sling you around for a quick romp in the hay if that was your thing. He looked like a Greek god. Hell, he was even named after one.

"Yeah, I couldn't tell," he said, joking. They began jogging again, this time at a much slower pace, and Aries felt her heart rate slowly returning to normal. "So, it looks like we are going to be stuck for a while," he said. Only a few hours prior they had learned that _Enterprise_ had answered a distress call from the _NX-02 Columbia_. With the _Columbia's_ captain sick and their ship unable to fly it was likely they would not be leaving anytime soon. Which was fine, but that left little for the MACOs to do other than continue to train, and then train some more.

"Well, look at the bright side maybe we'll get to see Ethan," she said. Apollo nodded. Corporal Ethan Holzberger was another MACO. To Aries, he was practically family as they had grown up together in the same hometown. He was now serving aboard the _Columbia_ , and they had not seen each other in over three weeks. Aries had wished that they could have been serving on the same tour but, hey, that was life.

Aries and Apollo finished their second lap around the track before settling down with the other members of their squad to stretch. They were first on the roster to spar. No doubt some sick bastard thought it would be funny to watch Apollo, Greek god that he was, go up against the resident featherweight, Corporal Carr, first thing in the morning. And Aries was pretty sure that Romero had twenty credits on her getting laid out within the first two minutes. Romero glanced at her and smirked as she flopped onto the ground and began stretching her legs. Leaning over she grabbed hold of her right foot as stared at Romero. She wanted to punch the smirk off his face.

Just then Major Flynn appeared with Lieutenant Reed. The squad moved quickly to stand in unison. Carr frowned as she wondered what was going on. Major Flynn glanced around his eyes gliding over Corporal Carr and the rest of the MACOs before he spoke.

"At ease," he said and everyone visibly relaxed. "Listen up, Lieutenant Reed has an announcement," said Major Flynn as he stepped back and nodded at Reed. Lieutenant Reed stepped forward and cleared his throat before he began to speak.

"As you are all well aware, only a few hours ago _Enterprise_ came to the aid of the _Columbia_. It appears that we are not the only ones. We just detected an Andorian vessel, the _Kumari_ , approaching," said Reed. _Andorians_ , Aries thought. She glanced at Corporal Diaz. Reed continued. "They claim to have been answering the distress call. Now, we don't believe them to be an immediate threat, however after our dealings with them in the Expanse we aren't taking any chances," said Reed. The Lieutenant's eyes scanned the room as he continued.

"They are going to be sending a shuttle to dock with _Enterprise_ , and a few of them with be boarding the ship to meet with Captain Archer. I'd like a team of MACOs prepared to escort the Andorians. So, Major, if you don't mind assembling a small team of about five or so I'd like them to meet me in Armory at 0900," he said. That was in a little over an hour. Major Flynn hummed in agreement.

"Of course, Lieutenant," he said as Reed nodded before turning to leave. Major Flynn stepped forward clapping his hands and rubbing them together. "Alright, we are gonna do this fast. Corporals Diaz, Romero, Carr, Martinez, and Williams get cleaned up," ordered Major Flynn. "You five are gonna be my welcoming committee," Major Flynn said, grinning. "Let's make sure we show these paranoid ice dwellers a good time."

Carr raised her eyebrows. She could hear the moans of disappointment coming from some of the others. She had not met an Andorian before and she felt a thrill of anticipation at the prospect. She glanced at Diaz who was grinning like an idiot. Clearly, he was just as excited. Filing after the others, Corporal Carr made her way toward her quarters, the thoughts of Helen and Captain Hernandez temporarily forgotten.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"So, what exactly are we looking at, Doctor?" Captain Archer and Commander T'Pol were standing in Sickbay staring at the Doctor Phlox's computer screen.

"Well, Captain, to be honest I'm not quite sure myself. It's a virus for certain, of course, but I've never encountered one quite like this before. It's almost as if it were engineered although I realize how silly that sounds. I do have some good news though. I have taken the liberty to test it on my own blood sample as well as a sample of Commander T'Pol's, which I must thank you for Commander," said Phlox glancing over at T'Pol. T'Pol only nodded before Phlox continued.

"I won't get into the details; however it appears it only affects those with a hemoglobin based blood composition. It would appear that I am quite immune, as are Vulcans apparently. Andorians as well for that matter, naturally, as their blood is based on a hemocyanin–"

"So, just Humans, basically," interrupted Captain Archer.

"Precisely, as well as a few other species," said Phlox.

"I'm not sure I see how that is good news," said Captain Archer.

"Well, I believe I may be able to synthesis a blood serum treatment based on mine and Commander T'Pol's immunity," said Phlox. Captain Archer raised his eyebrows and glanced at T'Pol. "It will be difficult, but it is a start," said the Denobulan.

Archer glanced over at Erika in the bio-bed. When he walked over to look at her he saw that her eyes were closed and the lids had taken on a bruised appearance. He swallowed thickly. _When was the last time he had watched her sleep?_ Thinking back he remembered it was during the last night of the mountain climbing trip he had gone on during his forced leave. Erika had stubbornly tagged along. She had been worried about his state of mind, and before long things became physical between them as they always seemed to whenever they got together. They had made love several times over the course of those few days. The last night of the trip Archer had watched her sleep while it eluded him. He remembered wondering what it must have felt like to be at peace. Looking down at her now Captain Archer found himself holding his breath as she slept. He hoped beyond reason that this would not to be one of the last times.

"How is she doing?" Archer finally hazarded, still watching Captain Hernandez.

"We have lowered her fever and her condition has temporarily stabilized with the increase in fluids, however I must warn you, she will continue to decline, and rapidly, I fear, if I don't work quickly," said Phlox. "I have her sedated now. She has elevated liver enzymes and it's only a matter of time before her kidneys shut down," said Phlox. Archer watched as Hillard, the medical technician from the _Columbia_ , exchanged an empty IV bag for another.

Archer turned his attention from Erika and back to Phlox. He face was grim. "I do have other news that will interest you. I believe Dr. Ruben has solved the mystery as to how Captain Hernandez and Commander Watanabe contracted the virus. He did a thorough inspection of their EV suits and it appears that both of their bio-filters were defective," he said. T'Pol straightened and looked at the Captain.

"Defective?" T'Pol repeated.

"Yes, I do believe that is what I just said, Commander," said Phlox.

"That's not possible. A defect or malfunction would have been caught during inspection before _Columbia_ would have even left dry dock. The suits would have been replaced," said Captain Archer. Not only that Erika and Commander Watanabe would have checked the filters before suiting up as was protocol. And Archer knew that Erika was not usually one for breaking the rules.

"Well, I'm not saying that it happened during the manufacturing process. It could have happened after," said Phlox.

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to say. As you are well aware, Dr. Rubin and myself are merely doctors, not engineers, although I have no doubt there are any number of things that may have happened. Perhaps the bio-filter was made of a material susceptible to decomposition due to some compound in the environment. It could be anything. Try as we might we cannot prepare for every eventuality. This is space, Captain, the ultimate unknown," said Phlox. Archer was quiet for a moment.

"You had mentioned that the virus is only spread through direct contact. Even with a defective filter they should not have picked anything up," said Archer.

"Ah, yes, well, that one remains a mystery, however one I am determined to solve. I have no doubt that we will eventually," said Phlox. _Denobulans and their unfailing optimism_ , thought Archer. He found himself staring at Erika once more. It was happening again. He could not lose her. Not after everything that happened in the Expanse. When he felt two pairs of eyes watching him he straightened and did his best to feign indifference as he saw that both Phlox and T'Pol were eyeing him warily.

"Alright, well, keep me updated, Doctor, on Eri– Captain Hernandez's condition. Contact me the moment anything changes," said Archer. "T'Pol, I want you to contact Commander Tucker and see if he has determined what is going on with the _Columbia_ ," said Archer turning to leave.

"Yes, Captain," said T'Pol also turning toward the Sickbay doors. Suddenly, Phlox made a noise that sounded half way between a snort and a cough and nearly dropped whatever it was he was carrying. Archer turned back to face the Doctor, but before he could ask if Phlox was alright, he spoke.

"Captain? Is Commander Tucker aboard the _Columbia_?"

"Yes, I sent him over a few hours ago."

"And you did not think to consult me?" Archer cocked his head, frowning.

"No… I did not. He's working with their Chief Engineer to find out why their warp drive and thrusters went offline. I do believe that is not a medically related issue," he said, slowly.

"Well, I wish you had spoken with me before sending him over. I would have cautioned against it, in fact, I would have insisted that no one else be transferred between the two ships," said Phlox.

"I thought you said that this is not contagious," said Archer rounding on Phlox.

"It's not as far as we are aware, however the mode of infection still remains unknown. I acquiesced to your desire to have Captain Hernandez transferred here on the understanding that we would take every precaution to keep her quarantined in the bio-bed, however this is unacceptable," said Phlox. His voice had risen to an unnatural tinny pitch. Captain Archer had never seen Dr. Phlox so upset. The faintest hint of surprise seemed to cross T'Pol's features.

"You believe I broke protocol?"

"Well, there really is no exact protocol for this particular situation. It is quite unique, in fact. However, we must be on the same paper–"

"Page," T'Pol automatically corrected as Phlox continued.

"–if we are going to help Captain Hernandez and Commander Watanabe without jeopardizing the rest of the crew or our mission."

"You think bringing Captain Hernandez aboard was a mistake? I believe you had plenty of time to speak up," said Archer. His tone had grown significantly cooler.

"No, not exactly. I do concede that if we had left Captain Hernandez aboard _Columbia_ we might not have ever found that this virus only affects Human physiology, and we would not have discovered mine and Commander T'Pol's immunity," Phlox sighed. "However, had I been consulted I would not have allowed Commander Tucker to leave _Enterprise_."

"Well, it's too late now. Trip is already over there," said Archer. Phlox sighed again.

"Yes, I see that now. Well, I must insist that he remains there until this situation is resolved. Either once an effective treatment presents or the mode of infection is determined," said Phlox. Archer was quiet as he glanced over at T'Pol.

"Alright, Doctor, that seems reasonable although I don't think Commander Tucker is going to be happy," said Archer.

"I have little concern as to what makes Commander Tucker happy at the moment," said Phlox. "Now if you don't mind, hmm?" Phlox said, shooing them back toward the doors. T'Pol raised her eyebrows again and glanced at the Captain. They both turned, both a little shell-shocked, as they left Sickbay.

* * *

Trip was in Engineering over on the _Columbia_ , and he was trying to make sense of the diagnostics he was reading. They made no sense. He had no idea how _Columbia_ had even been allowed to leave dry dock. He was finding all sorts of things that should have been caught during the pre-flight inspections. It was almost as if they had slapped her together desperate to get _Columbia_ off the ground and running. Someone, or rather quite a few people, had made some serious oversights, and Commander Tucker now found himself obliged to fix them. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache coming on. Although, the oversights were disturbing he was grateful to have something to keep his mind occupied and off of thinking about T'Pol.

It had been a little easier than he thought that particular day as thinking about T'Pol had been replaced with thinking about Captain Hernandez. Trip could hardly get the image of Erika's pale face out of his mind. It was unnerving, and a part of him – a small, terrible part – was not sure she was going to make it. He immediately pushed the thought from his mind. She deserved more than that. She deserved at least a modicum of optimism from him.

"Umm, Biggs, can you show me where your EPS conduits are? _Enterprise_ and _Columbia_ may look the same on the outside, but I'm finding that these two ladies were built a little different," said Trip. Lieutenant-Commander Biggs had been made Chief Engineer only three weeks prior, and he was as green as they came. To be fair, not all of the issues with _Columbia_ were his fault. The previous Chief, a Commander Bregman, had unexpectedly resigned to take a commission working on Luna. If it was up to Commander Tucker he would have made sure that Bregman never worked another day in his life as an engineer. All he could do now was give Biggs the benefit of his expertise, and hope the poor guy would eventually find his stride. The Lt. Commander nodded and walked him over to a panel on the opposite side of the hull where it would be on _Enterprise_. Trip clicked his tongue.

"Ah, thanks," said Trip.

"Not a problem, Commander, I'm just hoping you can assist us in getting her back up and running," said Biggs.

"You and me, both," said Trip letting out a breath. He stuck the handle of the conduit probe between his teeth as he dug inside the panel. Just then a spark flew and Trip felt a small jolt of electricity sting his finger. "Urgh," he growled. He shook his hand to rid the feeling. He needed a break. They had been at it for hours, and they still could not find the cause for why the thrusters had gone offline.

"Hey, Biggs, how's Commander Watanabe doing?" Trip asked. Biggs shifted uncomfortably and shook his head.

"Not good. His condition is deteriorating," said Biggs swallowing. Trip pressed his lips together.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Well, we are going to figure this out, and get this ship up and running again, and hopefully by then Dr. Ruben and Dr. Phlox are gonna have a better handle on the situation," said Trip looking over at Biggs. He noticed he was starting to look a little worse for wear and he kept rubbing his forehead.

"You alright, Lt. Commander?"

"Yeah, just have a bit of a headache is all," said Biggs. Trip raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, me too. We've been at this a while. Probably need a break is all. Here can you hold this?" Trip handled him a small penlight. "Just shine it there on the phase regulator. I wanna check the polarity." Biggs grabbed the light, but suddenly frowned. Trip wondered for a moment what he had said to offend the man.

"Uh, Commander, you're bleeding. Your nose is bleeding," said Biggs gesturing to his own nose while staring at Commander Tucker's. Trip wiped his nose with the back of his hand and saw red. He _was_ bleeding.

"Well, shit, you got a napkin or a tissue, or something?"

"Yeah, hang on I'll grab one for you," said Biggs as he jumped up and disappeared around a corner. Trip lifted his chin in an effort to keep his nose from leaking out all over the floor. He could not remember the last time he had a nose bleed. Probably not since grade school and he wondered what had caused it. Perhaps the electrical spark had something to do with it. But, then he remembered he had been shocked dozens of times, and never once had a nosebleed been a result.

As he held his head back he could feel a trickle of blood run down the back of his throat. The metallic taste of it made him cough. He righted his head as he swallowed back the taste. He watched as tiny bright red drops began to dot the Engineering deck when, suddenly, the image of Erika's pale face surfaced in his mind. Trip felt his stomach sink. _No,_ he thought. He knew it was illogical to think of the possibility, but he found himself beginning to sweat. _Don't be an idiot,_ he thought. _It's only a nosebleed_.

* * *

T'Pol and the Captain were silent as they left Sickbay. T'Pol was headed to the bridge to contact Commander Tucker as ordered, and Captain Archer was headed for the launch bay were he would be meeting with the Andorians, however there was something that was bothering T'Pol. She knew her timing was less than opportune, but she was not sure when she would have another chance to speak with Captain Archer privately especially with the Andorians due to board at any moment.

"Captain, may I have a word?"

"Of course, Commander, but we'll have to make it quick. Lieutenant Reed is not going to be happy to entertain the Andorians in the launch bay for long," said Archer.

"Captain," T'Pol hesitated. She knew that what she was about to say was bordering on sensitive, but it needed to be said nonetheless. Straightening she started again. "Captain, do you not think you should have mentioned Dr. Phlox's reservations about bringing Captain Hernandez aboard?" Archer frowned.

"No, as I did not think it was worth mentioning at the time. Besides he eventually agreed so it was of little consequence," he said. T'Pol pressed her lips together.

"I am your first officer, Captain," said T'Pol.

"Yes, I am quite aware, Commander." Archer's demeanor grew stony. "What exactly are you insinuating? I haven't done anything inappropriate," said Archer. He posture changed and T'Pol knew that he was becoming defensive. She had struck a nerve. What Archer did not realize was that he was all but confirming her suspicion.

"No, however I believe that this could be an indication that you are emotionally compromised," said T'Pol.

"You think I'm a little too close to the situation?" He voice rose and he immediately lowered it as he watched two MACOs pass them in the hall. He waited for them to be out of earshot before he continued. "Well, perhaps I am. We all are. These people are like family," Archer hissed.

"I know you and Captain Hernandez are… close, but we must be able to separate our feelings from our work especially if they have the capacity to affect our duties," said T'Pol. Archer's face had turned an unsightly shade of red.

"You are out of line, Commander," breathed Archer. T'Pol raised her eyebrows. "I can't believe I'm hearing this from you of all people." He shook his head. The last statement was directed more to himself than anything, but it did not stop T'Pol from questioning him.

"Of all people, Sir?" Captain Archer could feel his anger flare again.

"Yes, you think I'm not aware of what's been going on between Commander Tucker and yourself? You think I didn't know? Trip's shore leave on Vulcan… I respected your privacy as you are both senior officers, but as of late you are both acting 'emotionally compromised' as far as I can tell. So, if you want to talk about getting too close why don't you take a look in the mirror first before passing judgement," said Captain Archer. T'Pol said nothing. She knew Captain Archer was no fool, but she had not dreamed in a hundred years that he was aware of what was going on between her and Commander Tucker.

"Now, if that is all, Commander," said Captain Archer, stonily. T'Pol shook her head and moved aside as Captain Archer continued on his way. She watched as he disappeared behind the corner unable to shift the sinking feeling that had grown inside of her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Here," said Reed as he handed Corporal Carr a standard issue Class-3 pulse rifle from the Armory locker.

"You really think this is necessary?" asked Aries bracing the heavy weapon against her thigh as she detached the scope to check it before reattaching it. Once she was satisfied, she lifted the rifle and began adjusting the sling.

"Yes, I do actually. You haven't had much experience with Andorians yet. They can be quite duplicitous," said Reed as he glanced at her. He pulled two more rifles from the locker and handed them to Martinez and Williams. "Especially, that Lieutenant Talas," muttered Reed as he pulled another rifle out and began going through the firearms check. Aries raised her eyebrows wondering what kind of history Reed had with this Lieutenant Talas.

Once all the weapons were passed out and all the weapons checks were completed Lieutenant Reed led them to the launch bay. It was barely ten in the morning, and they were armed to the teeth. Reed began to give out instructions as they waited behind the window of the airlock in the launch bay.

"Alright, now I know most of you are familiar with dealing with our Andorian friends save perhaps Corporals Diaz and Carr," Reed glanced at Aries for a moment. "I think the rest of us remember the last time they were aboard the ship," said Reed. He was referring to the time in the Expanse when the Andorians planned a clever ruse to steal the Xindi proto-type. Romero snorted and nodded his head in agreement.

"Listen, now I know you all did not sign up to be nannies, however that is exactly what you'll be while we have the Andorians aboard. Not one of them are to go anywhere near the following: Armory, the Bridge, Engineering, Helm, the Transporter deck, Sickbay, the Brig, all restricted areas, and all other decks 3-7," said Reed. Aries listened as Reed listed nearly the whole of _Enterprise_.

"Uh, Lieutenant, so what exactly does that leave us with to take them to? The Mess Hall? Might as well let them sit here in the Launch Bay," said Romero looking around at the others. Williams and Martinez chuckled.

"Well, Corporal Romero, I didn't mention the toliets so you are more than welcome to take them there if that is your inclination," said Reed, sounding a little salty. Romero straightened. "Now, if that is all," said Reed as he raised his eyebrows almost daring someone else to speak up, but no one did.

They all stood quietly in the airlock. A few minutes passed slowly. Finally, they watched as the launch bay doors began to open. Out of the darkness of space a small shuttle appeared. Once it was safely ensconced within the bowels of Enterprise the bay doors closed. Afterwards, Reed and the MACOs exited the airlock and made their way toward the craft.

Just then Captain Archer appeared looking a little agitated. He glanced at the MACOs and their armaments before throwing a quizzical glance in Lieutenant Reed's direction.

"Sorry I'm late Lieutenant," said Archer.

"Not at all, Captain. They've only just arrived," said Reed. They all watched the Andorian shuttle as the handle of the hatch slowly turned and a dramatic puff of air released as the door was raised. Four Andorians stepped out, three males and one female all with defiant looks on their blue faces. The shortest male strutted forward, and clasped his hands together as he scanned the MACOs before resting his gaze on the Captain.

"Ah, Captain Archer," he intoned rather melodramatically. "I don't know whether to be impressed or offended. A military escort. Really?"

"Commander Shran, I'm sure you'll understand our precautions given our last meeting with you," said Archer. Shran glanced at the other Andorians.

"I was hoping it was water under the bridge by now, Captain, especially after you received, eh, the scans of the Xindi weapon," said Shran. Archer raised his eyebrows.

"You mean the one you were trying to steal–"

"Ugh, Captain, we all had our orders, but I do admit I feel badly about the whole situation," he said. His mode of speech continued to border on theatrical.

"Yeah, I'll bet. Last we saw you were limping away on auxiliary power," said Captain Archer. Commander Shran's antennae pointed forward suddenly and rather severely.

"Watch yourself, Pink-skin, you still owe me for that one," said Shran pointing a finger at his chest, and staring at Archer. After a moment he straightened and his antennae flattened against his skull almost remorsefully. "Come now, Captain, let us put all this unpleasantness behind us. You see we are only trying to make amends. We even answered your sister ship's distress call. And, I don't see anyone else here. Am I right? Say, where are your friends the Vulcans?" Shran raised his eyebrows looking around turning his whole body back and forth for effect. Finally, Captain Archer sighed.

"Yes, we appreciate the _Kumari_ attempting to come to the _Columbia's_ aid," said Captain Archer.

"That's more like it. Come now, let me introduce my crew and members of the Imperial Guard," said Shran stepping back. The Andorian female stepped forward. "You remember my tactical officer, Lieutenant Talas," said Shran. She glanced at the Captain and nodded before looking over at Lieutenant Reed.

"Ah, Lieutenant Reed, it is a pleasure to see you again. How's your father?" Talas asked as she gave him the once over.

"Still ornery as ever. How's your security clearance?" Reed replied rather icily as Talas suppressed a smile. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed their banter.

"Still lower than my mother's," she said. "I would love a visit to the Armory again. Maybe check on your phase canon efficiency, you know, for nostalgic purposes and all," she teased. Reed pressed his lips together. Clearly, he still had not forgiven her for sabotaging the sensor array.

"Perhaps another time," he said flatly. Talas hummed disappointment as the other Andorians stepped forward.

"This is Thelin, an Imperial Guardsman, he's serving aboard the _Kumari_ in a similar fashion as your MACOs," said Shran. Captain Archer nodded. "And of course you've met Lieutenants Keval and Telas," finished Shran. "Now, where is your lovely Vulcan science officer? I will be disappointed if I don't get to see her."

"T'Pol is busy right now, but I'll have her meet us a little later," said Captain Archer.

"Excellent, then let us go and drink to new beginnings. I took the liberty of bringing some Andorian ale," said Shran shooting Archer a lop-sided grin.

"Umm, isn't it a little early?" Shran's face contorted into a look of extreme disgust.

"Early? What kind of question is that? I would expect such reluctance from the Vulcan Ambassador Soval, but not from you, Pink-skin." He clapped a hand on Archer's shoulder. "Come I will forgive your indiscretion. There is still time to prove yourself worthy."

"Alright, but before we go I'm afraid I'm going to need you to forfeit your weapons," said Captain Archer setting his chin looking around at the other Andorians. Shran's nostrils flared, and his antennae stuck up straight on his head rather stiffly.

"Alright, but I am only doing this because I like you. And as a gesture of good faith," said Shran, his eyes widening. He nodded at the other Andorians as the MACOs stepped forward to claim their weapons. Aries stepped forward toward the one called, Thelin, and placed her hands on his rifle. His eyes narrowed and for a moment she was not sure he was going to let go, but finally he acquiesced.

She held the Andorian rifle in her hands looking it over. She could not help but smile. It was surprisingly lightweight, much lighter than her standard issue Class-3, although it did not look to have a stun setting. Thelin was watching her curiously his antennae pointed forward. He was rather quiet in comparison to Commander Shran, however she suspected most people were. Aries turned the rifle over in her hands.

"This is a beautiful weapon," she breathed. "What is the particle yield?"

"I don't believe I am at liberty to tell you that," said Thelin seriously, although the corners of his lips were upturned in an almost playful manner. Aries raised her eyebrows.

"Is it above ten megajoules?" Thelin did not answer though his antennae swayed slightly. Aries had her answer.

"Not much of a poker face, huh? Or rather poker antennae," she said, smiling. Thelin frowned. "Nevermind," she said as a look akin to worry crossed Thelin's features as he stared longingly at his weapon. "Don't worry I'll make sure they take good care of her," she said patting the rifle before handing it off to Lieutenant Reed. Aries watched as Captain Archer, Commander Shran, Lieutenants Talas and Telas, as well as Romero, Martinez, and Williams began to exit leaving only Lieutenant Reed, herself and Diaz as well as Thelin and the other Andorian Keval. Reed glanced at Aries.

"You are assigned to the Guardsman," Reed said nodding his head in Thelin's direction. "Think you can handle it?"

"Of course, Sir," said Aries. Reed nodded and gave her a tight smile.

"Alright, Corporal Diaz you have Lieutenant Keval," said Reed. Diaz nodded. He looked like the Jolly Green Giant next to the Keval. Corporal Carr watched as Reed followed behind the others followed by Diaz and Keval. Aries glanced over at Thelin who was still watching her.

"Alright, you, let's go," she said indicating with her Class-3 that he should file in front of her. He glanced at her rifle with a look of slight commiseration before stepping in front of her. Aries could not blame him. She would rather be holding his lightweight beauty herself right about now. At least she was wearing the sling. Shaking her head she followed behind him taking a moment to glance back at the launch bay one last time before disappearing with the rest of them.

* * *

Hoshi was on her way to Sickbay with Travis. His eyebrows had finally grown in a bit, and he was starting to look like himself again. However, it was Travis who providing moral support this time. They had just finished with lunch in the Mess Hall where Hoshi had developed a rather nasty headache. She needed an analgesic before they headed back to the Bridge.

"Ugh, Travis, it feels like it's in my nose," cried Hoshi pitifully. "Have you ever had one like that?"

"A sinus headache? I think everyone has, Hosh," said Travis.

"Oh be nice! It really hurts," said Hoshi trying to suppress a smile as she swatted an arm at Travis. It really did hurt to smile. Travis laughed as they stopped in front the Sickbay doors.

"Look, see, you made it," he said as they walked passed the sliding doors. It was unusually quiet apart from steady drone of beeps coming from Captain Hernandez's bio-bed in the corner. Not even Phlox's creatures were making a sound.

"I wonder how she's doing," whispered Travis glancing over at the bio-bed. Hoshi pressed her lips together. They knew Dr. Phlox was working on a treatment, but apparently it was very difficult and time consuming. And from all reports it sounded like Captain Hernandez's condition was slowly deteriorating. Hoshi did not want to bother Phlox. She knew how busy he was, but her head was throbbing.

"Dr. Phlox?" Hoshi called covering her eyes. The bright light of Sickbay was making her head pound even worse. When they received no answer Travis and Hoshi ventured farther into the Sickbay. That is when they spotted Phlox hunched over his computer. He was appeared rather distressed, and when he stood the look on his face confirmed that he was.

"Doctor, are you all right?" ventured Travis. Phlox glanced at them unfocused as he hurried past them and checked the controls to the ventilator on Captain Hernandez's bio-bed.

"Oh, thank goodness," said Phlox to himself. "I'm sorry Ensigns, however now is not really a good time. I need to speak with Captain Archer." He looked unusually harried and was continuing to move rather erratically. Travis frowned and glanced at Hoshi.

"Of course, Doctor, I don't want to be a bother I just need something for a headache is all," said Hoshi.

"Alright, please have Hillard assist you, if you would be so kind," said Phlox rather forcefully. Apparently, his usual optimism was wearing rather thin. He was staring at his computer screen again feverishly typing something into the console. Just then Hillard appeared in full hazmat attire behind Hoshi carrying an enclosed vial of what appeared to be blood.

"Doctor Phlox, I have the sample–" he started, but upon hearing his voice Hoshi to nearly jumped out of her skin. She bumped into Hillard, and the vial of blood went flying through the air before smashing at Hoshi and Travis's feet spraying their boots and the bottom of their uniforms with specks of blood. Before they knew it Phlox was upon them. Hoshi had never seen the Denobulan move so quickly. He reached past them to one of the control panels and pressed the emergency lock to the Sickbay doors, and suddenly an alarm was sounded. The Sickbay doors automatically sealed airtight after every ingress and exit, however Hoshi knew from her Starfleet training that activating the locking mechanism meant no one could enter or leave effectively quarantining Sickbay. Something had happened.

"Doctor Phlox, what is going on?" Hoshi could barely hear her voice above the sound of the alarm.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't have you leave," he said.

"Ah, Doctor, we are going need a little more of an explanation than that," said Travis. Phlox looked over at Hillard who had all but frozen on the spot. Hoshi was staring at Phlox. She could feel the blood pounding behind her eyes.

"I believe we have just determined the mode of infection," said Phlox.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

T'Pol was actually the first to arrive at the Sickbay doors. She had just finished discussing with Commander Tucker the repairs he made to the _Columbia_. He had been able to get the Warp reactor back online as well as the ventral thrusters, however the auxiliary thrusters still remained offline for whatever reason. Trip figured that the injectors feeding the auxiliary thrusters needed to be completely replaced which could only be done at Jupiter station. While they were a necessary component for any starship, the auxiliary thrusters were purely supplementary; so the _Columbia_ could, in theory, hobble back to the Sol System so long as nothing else broke down.

By now, Trip was ready to head back to _Enterprise_. He had told T'Pol as much and that he was not feeling well, and she found herself in the unfortunate position to inform him of Phlox's mandate which was for him to remain on _Columbia_. Needless to say Trip did not taken the news well.

"T'Pol, can't you speak to the Captain?"

"You know Doctor Phlox has authority over the Captain regarding medical implementation of isolation precautions," said T'Pol. Trip sighed.

"So I'm stuck here," said Trip rather flatly.

"Essentially," said T'Pol. Trip sighed again. She imagined that in that moment he was running a hand through his hair, and felt her heart clench at the thought. A part of her wanted him back on _Enterprise_ with her. At least to know he was nearby and that he was safe.

"Listen, T'Pol, I'm sorry for how I acted the last time we spoke…" T'Pol was quiet. "I just needed space… I just need time to get over you," he said. T'Pol could hear as he let out a breath. "Which, ironically, it seems that I have plenty of now," he added.

"Get over me?" T'Pol repeated as she frowned inwardly. She was unfamiliar with the Human expression.

"Yeah, you know, fall out of love with you," said Trip.

"You were in love with me?"

"Yeah, I thought you knew. Thought maybe your mother had told you," he said. T'Pol thought of T'Les. Her mother had not mentioned anything of the sort. She suddenly felt an unexpected twinge of anger toward her mother.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She said, trying to sound calm as she fought the anger that had risen inside of her. Had she known she never would have married Koss. She felt sick.

"I don't know. It wasn't until I realized I might lose you that I really knew myself. And by then it seemed too late…" Trip had trailed off. T'Pol was fighting back the tears that began welling, unbidden, in her eyes. Everything was suddenly coming to a head. The thought that she had lost the love of her life, and that he was stuck over on the _Columbia_ , and that she would never feel his hands on her ever again was too much to bear. She began desperately trying to suppress the feelings that had risen up uninvited, but little was working. She had always struggled with her emotions more than most Vulcans, and she found herself mortified by the fact she was being slowly overcome by them.

"T'Pol? Are you okay?" Trip asked. She was aware that she had been silent for several minutes. Swallowing, she finally spoke.

"I don't know. I suppose I need time to get over you too," she whispered. It was the closest she had ever come to telling him she loved him back. Trip was quiet on the other end.

"We'll get through this, okay? We have to," he said gently. T'Pol imagined him holding her in his arms. Trip had always be proud of the fact that he was a self-proclaimed 'cuddler', and although it had been alien to T'Pol at first, the intimate embraces they had shared were something she grew to need over time. T'Pol stiffled a sob and nodded knowing Trip could not see her over the transmission, but he seemed to understand her silences.

"Alright, well I should probably go then. You'll let me know the moment Doctor Phlox lifts the mandate," he said.

"Of course, Commander Tucker," said T'Pol with a voice that sounded strange and unfamiliar, and with that Trip ended the transmission.

T'Pol now stood, only minutes later, in front of Sickbay watching as lights flashed and the alarm sounded. For a moment she just stood there. She imagined that if she did not move she would not have to accept the fact that it was unlikely now that Doctor Phlox was going to lift the mandate, and that Trip would be free to return to _Enterprise_. But she did have to accept what was happening, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Finally, coming to she rushed over to the observation window and pressed the com on the outside. She could see Hoshi sitting on one of the examination beds obviously distraught, and that Ensign Mayweather appeared to be comforting her. Doctor Phlox made his way quickly over to the window.

"Ah, Commander T'Pol, is the Captain here as well?" T'Pol was about to answer in the negative, but Captain Archer appeared along with Lieutenant Reed.

"What happened?" The Captain asked before moving to stand next to T'Pol.

"Well, I have been obliged to quarantine Sickbay. And it seems that Doctor Ruben made a rather startling discovery," said Phlox.

"Which is?" Captain Archer did not have the patience for Phlox's long winded explanations. Not with the Sickbay alarm sounding and the lights flashing. He could barely think. He shouted above the alarm. "T'Pol, do you know of any way to disable that alarm without disrupting the airlock to Sickbay?"

"Yes, Captain," said T'Pol. She made her way to one of the wall panels outside the door and inputted a code. The flashing lights and alarm immediately stopped. Suddenly, Archer could hear himself think again.

"Please explain, Doctor," implored Archer.

"The virus appears to be a mutagenic pathogen. It is able to reproduce rather rapidly under the right conditions and it appears to be more resilient than we first realized," said Phlox.

"Meaning?"

"It requires oxygen to flourish, and apparently finds the confines of an EV suit and a Human starship a most habitable medium for growth. It is now able to survive for long periods on surfaces including dust and other particles in the air," said Phlox.

Archer swallowed. He was almost certain he understood what that meant, and Phlox confirmed his worst fear only a moment later.

"It no longer requires direct contact to infect a host. In fact, it was the virus itself that disintegrated Captain Hernandez's and Commander Watanabe's bio-filters. It was how they were infected. The run through Decon weakened it temporarily, but it did not eradicate it. It is why it did not spread initially, however the whole of _Columbia_ has been exposed. Doctor Ruben had just messaged me that it has eaten through the ventilator on Commander Watanabe's bio-bed. Fortunately, Captain Hernandez's ventilator is holding and is still intact," said Phlox. Lieutenant Reed stepped forward.

"Oh Lord. That means Commander Tucker has been exposed. Someone is going to have to tell him," said Malcolm. His eyes were wide.

Out of nowhere T'Pol made a noise and vomited on the floor. Lieutenant Reed rushed to her side pulling a handkerchief from his pocket. T'Pol gave him a quizzical look, but accepted it gratefully. She wanted to try and clean up, but Lieutenant Reed took her by the arm and moved her away from the mess. Captain Archer stepped forward moving closer to the observation window.

"Has the crew of _Columbia_ been made aware?"

"No, Doctor Ruben, did not want to cause mass hysteria, but they will eventually have to be made aware. Especially as people become ill which, I have no doubt, will happen soon if it hasn't already," said Phlox. Archer nodded slowly.

"So, why is it that _Enterprise's_ Sickbay is now quarantined?"

"A vial of contaminated blood broke on the floor. Ensigns Sato and Mayweather have been exposed, however they not showing any signs of illness. Not yet at least, and it is too early to test them," said Phlox. Archer looked past Phlox and saw Travis and Hoshi sitting together on an exam bed. He felt a wave of guilt rise up inside of him and he had to grip the wall to steady himself. He began breathing hard. The Andorian ale that he had been obliged to partake in rose, burning, in his throat. He stifled the urge to gag and swallowed it down. Only when he was able to control himself again did he begin to speak.

"You mentioned that you are able to synthesis some sort of treatment?"

"Yes, a blood serum antibody treatment, but I'm afraid I will have some difficulties in synthesizing it here with the limited equipment onboard. It is very difficult and time-consuming you understand. That is why, I believe, we need to prepare for the worst Captain," said Phlox. Captain Archer felt a wave of nausea roll over him. It was all his fault. If only he had left Erika on _Columbia_. If only he had not sent Trip over there none of this would have happened. He shook his head. He could not think that way. If he had not done what he did _Columbia_ would have still been exposed and with no hope of a treatment. At least now there was hope.

"What do you need, Doctor, to synthesis a treatment?"

"Access to a full scale lab," said Phlox.

"I don't think that is going to be possible," said Archer.

"Well, then there is a number of items and pieces of equipment that would make synthesizing a large quantity of the treatment much faster and effective," said Phlox. Archer straightened. He was determined to fix this somehow.

"Alright, devise a list, and have it ready within the hour," said Archer. Doctor Phlox nodded as Captain Archer turned to leave.

"Captain, where are you going?" asked Lieutenant Reed. He was still holding on to T'Pol's arm to steady her.

"To call in a favor," he said.

* * *

Aries shifted her weight from one leg to the other and adjusted the sling of the rifle on her shoulder. She was still watching the Imperial Guardsmen Thelin who was now stationed outside the Captain's quarters. Captain Archer was inside speaking with Commander Shran along with Lieutenant Reed, Commander T'Pol and Lieutenant Talas. The five of them had been in there for the past half an hour.

To pass the time Aries had taken to studying the Andorian. He was not terribly tall. In fact, it seemed that most Andorians were a bit smaller in stature compared to Humans. Just by looking at him she guessed he could not have been more than five foot nine which was more than adequate in her opinion. She was barely five-five on a good day. She continued to watch him wondering those strange thoughts you get when you barely know someone, and you are trying to piece together a puzzle.

Just then Thelin looked over at her, his antennae pointed at her in an almost accusatory manner, and Aries looked away quickly in an effort to appear as though she had not been openly staring at him for the past half hour. She instead took to staring at the hull behind him, and began wondering what purpose Andorian antennae served when finally the door to the Captain's quarters opened.

"Then it is decided, Captain," said Shran his voice carrying before he even made it to the door.

"Thank you for your assistance," said Captain Archer.

"Don't thank me yet, Pink-skin, however if we do get what you are looking for I expect that this favor will more than make up for what transpired in the Expanse," said Shran.

"It will be water under the bridge as you put it, Commander," said Captain Archer.

"Good. Then assemble your men. We will be leaving to return to the _Kumari_ in less than an hour," said Shran.

"Understood. Lieutenant Reed please escort Commander Shran and the rest of the Andorians to their shuttle, and round up the MACOs. You have some decisions to make. Do so quickly," said Archer. Lieutenant Reed nodded and indicated to Corporal Carr to follow him with the Imperial Guardsman. She nodded and fell in step behind Commander Shran and the Guardsman. Captain Archer turned to T'Pol who was still looking a little green.

"T'Pol, retrieve Doctor Phlox's list. We don't have a lot of time."

* * *

Travis was rubbing Hoshi's back in Sickbay. She had been crying almost non-stop after learning the news of their possible fate although Travis believed that part of the reason was due to her headache. Doctor Phlox had finally given her an analgesic for the pain, but it had not kicked in yet. Silent tears continued to pour down her cheeks and her eyes were red. Travis hated seeing her like this.

"It's gonna be okay, Hoshi," said Travis, though a part of him was trying to convince himself.

"How can you say that?" She sniffed as she looked at him.

"How can I not? Remember 'optimism' Ensign Sato," he said in a voice that was his best impression of Doctor Phlox's. Hoshi hiccupped and cracked a small smile.

"You're not scared?"

"Of course, I am. But I'm not going to let that fear control me. Besides I have faith in the good Doctor," said Travis. Hoshi sighed and lay back on the exam bed. She scooted over so that Travis had just enough space to lie next to her. He had to place one of his arms around her shoulders and she had to cross one of her legs over his, but they made it work.

"You know I like you Hoshi," said Travis.

"I know. I like you too, Travis," said Hoshi staring at the ceiling.

"No, like I actually 'like' you," he said slowly. Hoshi turned her head to face him.

"I _know_ , Travis," she said. Ensign Mayweather looked surprised.

"You know? How do you know? Am I that transparent?"

"A little. It's cute," she said. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"I don't know. Seemed like a good enough time. And this is kind of romantic," he said.

"What this? Waiting to find out if we are infected with a lethal virus?"

"No, I mean, this place. This is the first time we are actually alone… well, sort of," he glanced over at the Captain Hernandez's bio-bed. Doctor Phlox was on the other side of Sickbay, and Hillard, well, Travis did not know where Hillard was. Hoshi had finally stopped crying, but now she was breathing kind of quickly like she was hyperventilating. Travis pulled her closer.

"I'm sorry, I'm just freaking out a little," she said. She was trying her best to calm her breathing, but little was helping.

"It's okay. How about you tell me something about yourself," said Travis.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I want to get to know you. How about start by telling me what your name means," he said. Hoshi glanced at Travis. She knew he was doing his best to try to relieve her anxiety.

"Well, my name is actually Hoshiko. But I've been called Hoshi ever since I can remember. Hoshiko means 'star-child' in Japanese," she said.

"Hoshiko," Travis repeated quietly. "That's really pretty. And it's fitting since you are living a life among the stars," said Travis. Hoshi smiled, but her mind wandered back to the present. A life among the stars. _But for how long?_ She felt her anxiety return in full force.

"What if we get really sick?" She asked raising her eyebrows. Travis was quiet for a moment.

"Well then, at least we'll be together," he said as he looked over at her, his gaze unwavering. She felt a feeling of warmth rise up inside of her. Pressing her head against his shoulder she grabbed Travis's hand and held it tightly. _At least they would be together._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Are you okay, Trip?"

"Umm, I guess I'm about as okay as someone could be having just been told I might die a horrible death at the hands of some alien pathogen," said Trip.

"I'm not going to let that happen," said Captain Archer. Archer was in his ready room, and was speaking to Commander Tucker over on _Columbia_ via video transmission. He had just finished relaying Dr. Ruben's startling discovery as well as their plan to get the medical supplies and equipment needed by Dr. Phlox with the help of the Andorians. Commander T'Pol had wanted to be the one to break the news to Commander Tucker, but Archer felt it was only appropriate that _he_ be the one to tell Trip given that he was the reason for him being stuck on _Columbia_. To Archer's surprise Commander Tucker was taking it all rather well. Almost too well. "Listen… I'm sorry, Trip. I should have never sent you over there." Commander Tucker sighed.

"You didn't know this was going to happen," said Trip. "But you gotta promise me this is not how it ends or I swear I'll haunt your ass for the rest of your life," said Trip, with an almost smile. "I always imagined I'd croak in arms of some busty, blonde with a pixie cut or somehow get sucked into the Warp reactor, and I'm not having you interfere with either scenario." Not even the threat of death could keep him from cracking a joke. Suddenly, he burst into a coughing fit. Even over the video transmission Captain Archer could see that Trip had grown significantly paler, and he felt guilt flare inside of him once more.

"I am going to do everything I can to make this right, Trip, I promise," said Captain Archer.

"I know you will," said Trip rubbing his chest. He was quiet for a moment before he changed the subject. "So, what is this planet called again?"

"Ra'Gor-eth _._ At least that's what the Andorians call it. It's located in the Epsilon system about four lightyears from here. T'Pol says it's not in the Vulcan star charts," said Captain Archer.

"Not in their star charts, eh? Well, that doesn't sound promising," said Trip.

"We don't have much choice. Time is not on our side at the moment. Commander Shran says there's a trading outpost there, Tre'du Fah, and it's run by a group of exiled Baltanons, whoever they are," said Captain Archer. Trip snorted causing him to cough again.

"Great, so you are gonna trust Shran to go on an errand to some seedy, remote trading outpost to get some black market medical equipment from some species we've never even heard of and then just wait for him to bring it back here?"

"Yes," said Archer. He realized how ridiculous it sounded spoken aloud, but he had run out of options. They were too far from Earth, and they would not be able to make it to either Vulcan or Andoria, at least not before amassing a large number of casualties. Besides he was not even sure if there would be anyone left to man the _Columbia_ at the rate they were falling ill. His only option was to put his faith in Commander Shran, and a part of him trusted that the Andorian would do the right thing. Still he was no fool; he wanted assurances. "I'm sending a few of our people to go with them," said Archer.

"You're sending some of the crew? Who?" asked Tucker, incredulously.

"A team of MACOs, Lieutenant Reed, and Commander T'Pol," said Captain Archer. Trip immediately shook his head.

"T'Pol? No. You can't send her, Capt'n," said Trip. His voice had risen in pitch slightly.

"She volunteered, Trip. She's experienced in dealing with Andorians, and strange as it sounds, Shran trusts her," said Captain Archer. Trip groaned.

"I don't like this," said Trip. "And how exactly do you know he's not planning something underhanded?"

"I don't, but he's agreed to leave two of his officers here until they all return. As a show of good faith and as collateral, of sorts," said Archer. Trip pressed his lips together and remained silent for a moment as he mulled over what he had just learned.

"So, what the hell am I supposed to do over here?"

"Well, you can ionize hull plating. It'll help mask the ship while we are stuck here like sitting ducks. I've asked Lieutenant Reed to do the same for _Enterprise._ We don't want to draw any more attention to ourselves than we already have," said Archer. Trip swallowed, but nodded. "And you could just try to keep everyone calm. It's only a matter of time before we get what we need and Dr. Phlox is able to synthesis a treatment," said Archer.

"It's not gonna be easy. People are starting to get suspicious, especially with all the people getting sick over here. Lt. Commander Biggs–," Trip trailed off as he began coughing again. When he finally stopped he was breathing hard, his voice hoarse. "I'll see what I can do. Just keep me updated, I guess," said Commander Tucker.

"I will, Commander," he said. "And Trip… just hang in there." Trip only nodded and Archer closed out the transmission. _Just hang in there._ As though it were that easy. Captain Archer sat back in his chair as he let out a breath and rubbed his forehead. He hoped beyond hope that Shran would make good on his word.

* * *

Lieutenant Reed was heading for the launch bay when Commander T'Pol caught up with him in the hallway. She glanced behind him and saw three MACOs following closely behind. It appeared Corporals Romero, Diaz, and Carr would be joining them. T'Pol made eye contact with Corporal Carr, who had been her sparring partner for the past few weeks, and nodded. Corporal Carr gave her a small smile in return.

"Ah, Commander, did you get everything?" Reed asked looking over at T'Pol.

"Yes, I have already stowed the plasma relays and the anti-matter storage pods in the Andorian shuttle," she said. They had gathered anything they could spare to help negotiate for the medical equipment that Doctor Phlox needed.

"Good. And you have the list?" Reed was referring to Doctor Phlox's itemized list of necessary supplies and equipment. Lieutenant Reed was fairly certain she did, but due to his meticulous nature he could not help but ask.

"Of course," said T'Pol almost sounding affronted. Reed took no notice.

"I'm told it's going to be quite cold on Ra'Gor-eth, as well as on the Andorian ship, in fact," said Reed.

"Yes, however I don't believe we are going to conducting negotiations outside," she said looking ahead as they walked. "Although, I have packed the appropriate attire." Reed nodded, and glanced at T'Pol again. At least she no longer looked quite as green as she did earlier.

"Are you feeling any better?" He was, of course, referring to the unfortunate incident involving T'Pol purging the contents of her stomach outside of Sickbay. He was a little worried about T'Pol and he had an inkling that the incident had something to do with Commander Tucker both being exposed and being stuck on the _Columbia_.

"Yes, I believe so, Lieutenant Reed," she said, a little stiffly. It was clear from her tone that she did not want to discuss it any further. Just then they rounded a corner only to be deposited in front of the doors to launch bay and were spared any further awkward small talk. The MACOs followed behind as they entered and they were greeted by Lieutenant Talas who was standing outside the shuttle alongside Thelin. It appeared that Commander Shran was already aboard going over the pre-flight checklist. Lieutenants Telas and Keval, as they understood, were to remain on _Enterprise_ as part of the agreement until they all returned.

"Ah, Lieutenant Reed, will you be joining us?" Lieutenant Talas looked almost delighted to see the man.

"Yes, it would appear so," he said. Talas raised her eyebrows.

"This should prove to be quite interesting," she said as she surveyed the ragtag group which now included two Andorians not counting Shran, one Vulcan, and several Humans. "Ah, you won't be needing those," she said pointing to the weapons that Lieutenant Reed and the three MACOs were carrying.

"I beg your pardon–," Reed started, but Talas had already walked over to him and started to remove the rifle slung over Reed's shoulder. He began to protest, but she ignored him, and instead spoke to Thelin.

"Go ahead and check them," she said indicating to the others. Thelin stepped forward toward Apollo and began to pat him for weapons as Talas did the same on Lieutenant Reed. Aries watched trying to stifle a laugh. It looked as though he was feeling up a tree.

"You don't think we are going to need weapons where we are going?" Asked Reed as he watched as Talas ran her hands over his torso obviously feeling for anything concealed.

"No," she said simply as she bent down. She then began running her hands up his left leg patting the fabric here and there as she went. As she made her way up she began to inch dangerously close to the intersection of his trouser legs. Reed felt his breathing hitch as her hands paused for a moment by his groin. Reed flushed as Talas looked up at him for a moment, eyebrows raised, before she continued her pat-down.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked looking down at her, the exasperation in his voice apparent.

"Perhaps," she said slyly. She smiled as she moved to stand. The pat-down had been rather thorough, in Reed's opinion, however despite his best objections he had not really minded. There were worse things than being rubbed down by an Andorian female – any female really – especially Lieutenant Talas, but he was not about to let her know that so he continued to feign displeasure.

"You have to understand the _Kumari_ is an Imperial warship, not some ship of exploration," she said gesturing to the hull of _Enterprise_. "We have all the weapons you will need," she said, moving past Reed.

"You're next, Vulcan," she said as she stepped up to T'Pol. She then began the same procedure on the Commander, and Malcolm found himself not averse to watching only to assure she was following protocol, of course.

Once Thelin was finished with his search of Apollo he walked over to Corporal Carr. Aries had stuck out her arms and spread her legs shoulder width apart to make the process go by faster. He glanced at her face for a moment, but she did not make eye contact as he began running his hands over the tops of her arms and then over her sides and back and then over her hips. He then began to run his hands down each leg, but he stopped at her right ankle. He looked up at her, and Aries swallowed. Slowly, he lifted her pant leg to reveal a knife she had concealed in an ankle wrap. He slid the knife out of its sheath and examined it.

"What do we have here?" His antennae swayed for a moment as he stared at the knife.

"Ugh," she sighed cocking her head. "Please don't take it. I _need_ my knife," she pleaded. She had been hoping that he would not find it. Thelin smirked as he stood.

"Don't worry I'll take good care of it," he said in the same mocking tone Corporal Carr had adopted when she had first confiscated his rifle, and he tucked it into his utility belt. Aries frowned sadly. She hated being unarmed. When Thelin saw the devastated look on her face he softened a bit. He then leaned in, close to her ear, so that only she hear. "Don't worry, you'll get it back, eventually," he said quietly before moving on to Corporal Romero. Aries frowned as she stared at the Andorian and almost jumped when Lieutenant Talas spoke again.

"Alright, we are going to be boarding the shuttle where we are then going to be docking with the _Kumari_ ," she said. "None of you are to wander around the ship alone. You are to be escorted at all times or else you will have me to deal with," she said.

"Would that really be so bad?" snickered Romero eyeing her up and down. Aries rolled her eyes. The jackass was always smarting off at the mouth.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me? Have you ever dug an _Ushaan-tor_ out of the side of your neck?" Talas brandished a serrated crescent blade in front of his face, her antennae pointed forward at a most acute angle. Romero swallowed audibly his eyes locked onto the shiny blade. Lieutenant Reed stepped forward.

"Alright, alright, there's no need to get your knickers in a twist. He's only being an idiot," said Reed stepping forward resting a hand on Lieutenant Talas's arm and shooting Corporal Romero a death stare. Talas stuck the blade back into her belt, and turned to Reed, frowning.

"What?" Her antennae flattened on her head in an almost quizzical manner.

"Never mind, we really don't have time for this," he said, shaking his head. "Romero, you'll keep your mouth shut from now on if you know what's good for you."

Lieutenant Talas narrowed her eyes, but she eventually softened a little as she led them to the shuttle. Commander T'Pol climbed in and Corporal Carr followed closely her behind her. It was completely different than any Human shuttle, or Vulcan for that matter, and far cooler in temperature. The seats were arranged along the side the hull almost like a long bench, in similar fashion to a Human cargo ship, instead of having rows of seats. Once they were all inside the Guardsman, Thelin, closed and locked the hatch as Lieutenant Talas made her way toward the front. Commander Shran was already seated in the front of the shuttle, and turned to survey its occupants. When he spotted T'Pol a delightful grin appeared on his face.

"Ah, Commander T'Pol, always a pleasure. I think I'm starting to see why Captain Archer keeps you around. Perhaps I should consider having a Vulcan serve aboard the _Kumari_ ," said Shran. Lieutenant Talas's face contorted into one of disgust.

"Really, Commander? You're humor grows more grotesque by the day," she said, as the shuttle began to move. Slowly, it descended from _Enterprise's_ launch bay and into the darkness of space.

"Watch yourself, Lieutenant," said Shran as his antennae pointed forward in warning. "Besides, better to keep one's enemies closer, am I right?" he said.

"We are hardly your enemies, Commander Shran, and I'm sure Ambassador Soval would have something to say about a Vulcan serving aboard an Andorian vessel," said T'Pol.

"No doubt he would," he said. Minutes passed and they all became quiet as they watched the _Kumari_ come into view at the front of the shuttle. "Ah, isn't she a beauty," cried Shran. The _Kumari_ was a rather attractive ship. It was long in length and appeared to be designed for speed, and was far cry larger than _Enterprise_. Lieutenant Reed watched with wonder as it loomed closer. Lieutenant Talas glanced over at him.

"I'll admit it is quite a sight," he said and Talas nodded appreciatively.

"Yes, it is," she said. They remained quiet as they watched as the rear bay doors of the _Kumari_ opened and the shuttle slipped inside. Once it was safely ensconced and the bay doors sealed Thelin moved to open the hatch. One by one they all climbed out and stood inside the launch bay. Corporal Apollo Diaz moved to stand next to Aries and nudged her with his elbow.

"Holy shit, it's cold," he whispered as she glanced up at him. It was cold. It was true that the Andorians came from a cold planet, but this was like standing in a meat locker. Corporal Carr looked over at Commander T'Pol who had crossed her arms across her chest. Aries followed suit as she was sure her own nipples could cut glass and she suddenly wished her uniform was a bit thicker. They all stood shivering as they waited as Commander Shran exited the shuttle and moved to stand near Lieutenant Reed who was starting to look a little blue himself. After taking in a deep breath and drawing himself up, he glanced around at their surroundings before finally addressing his guests.

"Welcome to the _Kumari_ ," he said delighting in the spectacle that was the ragtag group standing before him. "Now, let's get you what you need, Pink-skins."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Hoshi and Travis sat in Sickbay each sitting on opposite exam tables. Hoshi had her legs stretched out in front of her, and she watched as Hillard was making his usual check of Captain Hernandez in the corner as Doctor Phlox continued the slow process of synthesizing a treatment with the limited equipment and supplies on board. Only a few hours prior their test results came back, and both had revealed to be two unsurprising positives. It was now certain that Hoshi and Travis were infected with the deadly pathogen, however after a fair amount of crying and wringing of hands; both Ensigns now seemed to be taking it in stride, to a degree. Hillard, the medical technician from the _Columbia_ , was also tested although he had been wearing a bio-hazard suit. His test had come back negative so he continued to don the cumbersome apparel lumbering through Sickbay like a slow moving dinosaur.

" _Unagi_ ," said Hoshi.

" _Unagi_?" Travis repeated the word a frown forming on his face.

"Yeah, it's Japanese for eel, well the freshwater kind you eat, that is," she said.

"I know what _unagi_ is, Hosh, but that doesn't count."

"Yes, yes it does! Listen, I let you have _mole_ for M during the last round when we were naming sauces. And I'm pretty sure that is a Spanish word for a Mexican sauce!" Her voice had risen slightly as she pleaded her case.

"She's right, Travis," said Hillard glancing up from his work to look over at them through his clear visor.

"Thank you. You see? Hillard agrees with me," said Hoshi smiling triumphantly.

"I still don't think so," said Travis.

"Urgh, fine. How about Urchin then. Happy? We eat those too," she said. They had been playing an alphabet name game where they took turns naming different foods for each letter. Every round was a different category, and the category for the current round was proteins. The current debate was whether non-English words counted. It was rather silly, but it helped pass the time, and it seemed to temporarily take their minds off of the devastating news they just received. Travis was learning that Hoshi was far more competitive than he ever realized.

"Alright, your turn Mayweather. What have you got for V?"

"Venison," he said quickly.

"Ugh, alright, hmm now for W–," Hoshi started, but she was interrupted by a loud alarm going off. It was coming from Captain Hernandez's bio-bed. Both Hoshi and Travis glanced over. Just then Doctor Phlox came running from the other side of Sickbay. Hoshi swung her legs over the side of the exam table, and she gasped when she saw that Captain Hernandez appeared to be almost shaking inside her bio-bed.

"What happened, Hillard?" Phlox nearly hissed as he raced to his side.

"I – I don't know. The monitor just alarmed, and she suddenly became tachycardic. She seemed fine a second ago when I checked," said Hillard visibly shaken.

Phlox stuck his hands into the isolation gloves attached to the bio-bed. Hillard did the same on the other side of the bio-bed. Captain Hernandez had suddenly stopped moving. Looking down they could see that Captain Hernandez's lips were turning blue.

"Doctor, she has no radial pulse," said Hillard looking up.

"Cardiac tamponade," said Phlox as he glanced at the monitor. "No doubt it's been brought on by pericarditis caused by the infection. We'll need to open the bio-bed. I need to drain the fluid or she's going to die. There's no other way," said Phlox. He glanced over at Hoshi and Travis who were both staring horrified. "You are both already infected and Sickbay is quarantined–," said the Denobulan.

"Just do it, Doctor, you have to help her!" Cried Hoshi. She felt the tears start again as she and Travis edged closer and watched as Phlox and Hillard began frantically releasing the latches of the isolation chamber surrounding the bio-bed. It hissed when it opened and a computerized voice came on and could be heard voicing ' _warning_ ' repeatedly.

"Hillard, can you turn that blasted thing off?" Phlox found himself sounding a little like Lieutenant Reed for a moment, but he could not stop to think about it for long as he quickly moved to open Captain Hernandez's gown and began to palpate her chest below her sternum. Hillard was able to turn off the alarm, and Doctor Phlox could hear himself think once more. "There's no time. I'll have to do this blind," said Phlox turning to grab something. Hoshi and Travis had no idea what the hell was going on or what Phlox was talking about, but Hillard seemed to and quickly began wiping Captain Hernandez's chest with a cloth and some liquid that smelt antiseptic. Phlox turned back around this time with a large needle and a syringe.

"Oh my god," whispered Travis. "I can't watch this," he said as he stumbled over to one of the exam beds barely catching himself before he slid to the ground. Hoshi was fixed on the spot unable to move and was silently sobbing.

With precision Phlox angled the needle as he pierced Captain Hernandez's chest pushing it in deep before moving quickly to screw on the large syringe. Phlox then continued to push the needle even further, with the syringe attached, and stopped when he determined that he hit his target, the sac surrounding Captain Hernandez's heart. Hoshi covered her mouth. It almost seemed too deep. Slowly, he began to pull up on the stopper. Seconds seemed to tick by like minutes when finally a cloudy, yellowish fluid began to fill the syringe, and for the first time the monitor beeped its first heart sounds in what seemed like forever. Hoshi exhaled the breath that she had not realized she was holding and slumped to the floor. She then began sobbing and shaking uncontrollably, unsure if it was out of relief or realization of the inevitable. Hillard visibly relaxed, and looked over at Phlox who had stepped back, no doubt, to take a breather.

"Looks good, Doctor, her pressure isn't normal, but it's returning to what it was before," said Hillard as he looked over at the monitor.

"It's not good," said Phlox. Hillard frowned for a moment as he glanced from monitor and back to Phlox. The doctor sounded vaguely distant and detached. "She's still critical, and she's only going to get worse from here on out."

Hoshi had stopped crying just long enough to look up at Doctor Phlox. She found that she almost did not recognize him. His optimism was all but gone. Forcing herself to stand she wiped her nose with the back of her hand. She then walked unsteadily over to Phlox and grabbed his arm aware, in the back of her mind, that Denobulans did not like casual touches, but it did not seem to faze Phlox. At least not in that moment.

"Doctor, don't check out on us yet. They are going to get everything you need. Captain Hernandez is strong, and she is going to fight this," she whispered as her eyes searched his. She was not sure if she really believed what she saying herself, but she needed to hear it spoken aloud nonetheless. Phlox's gaze focused on her for a moment, briefly, before he looked away again. He gently patted her hand that was still latched on to his arm.

"Oh, Ensign Sato, you are sweet for trying to cheer me up, but I know what is to come, and it isn't pleasant," he said, his voice strangely hollow. Gently releasing himself from her grasp he began moving back toward Captain Hernandez's bed, and Ensign Sato was left standing there, empty, her face still sticky from so many tears.

* * *

Corporal Aries Carr awoke very early. She had not slept well for the Vulcan she was bunked with snored. You would not think to look at her, given her lithe, feminine frame, but Commander T'Pol snored like a freight train, and it took all of Aries's considerable willpower not to smother her in her sleep. Not that the Andorians would have probably minded, say with, perhaps, the exception of Commander Shran. They had taken to stationing a guard outside the door to Aries's and T'Pol's temporary quarters aboard the _Kumari_ for several reasons, all of which seemed ludicrous to Corporal Carr. It was well known that Andorians were a tad paranoid as well as distrustful of Vulcans so it should not have surprised her when they locked them in that night and posted a rather irritated guard outside the door.

 _Ra'Gor-eth_ was only four light years away, but that still meant that it was about an Earth's day and a half journey to the planet. They planned to be in and out of negotiations rather quickly, but that still meant that the entire mission would take a little over three days round trip so Corporal Carr would have to listen to the Vulcan sawing wood for at least another night or so. Sighing, unable to fall back to sleep, she got up and decided to take a shower while T'Pol continued to sleep. When she finished, T'Pol awoke.

"Ah, you are awake early," said T'Pol stretching before she began straightening her bedcovers.

"Yeah, I wonder why," Aries muttered under her breath so that T'Pol would not hear. It was not really T'Pol's fault, as the Vulcan could not help the fact that she sounded like a little piglet while she slept, but Corporal Carr was starting to get a little cranky and she knew it was from both a lack of sleep and the need for caffeine. She watched as Commander T'Pol moved with the grace of cat to the floor where she crossed her legs and began to light a candle that she brought with her.

"Do you need to meditate?" asked Aries.

"Yes, I'm finding that I am having trouble balancing my emotions. Am I bothering you?" T'Pol asked looking up at Aries.

"Of course not. Am I bothering you by being here?"

"Well, typically, I would prefer privacy, however it seems that we are unlikely to get any while aboard this ship," she said as she closed her eyes again.

"Well, maybe they'll let me out of this thing," said Aries, as she walked over to the door. She pressed the release, but it was still locked. She began banging loudly against the metal door. "Hey, open up!" Suddenly, the door opened and the same irritated Andorian that had locked them in earlier stood and glared at Corporal Carr, his antennae pointed forward menacingly.

"What?"

"Can you let me out? Commander T'Pol needs to meditate and requires quiet and solitude to do so," she said.

"No, it's still too early," he said and he moved to close the door. Aries quickly tried another approach. One that did not involve doing favors for Vulcans.

"Wait, please, listen I really need some coffee, you know, to wake up," she pleaded. The Andorian looked ready to close the door on her for good when Aries saw the Imperial Guardsman Thelin walk by. "Thelin," she called waving her hand. Thelin frowned and his antennae drifted apart as if confused by what he saw.

"What's going on," he asked Corporal Carr's Andorian keeper before glancing back at Aries.

"The Human wants to leave. No doubt she wishes to wander about and covertly observe the running of the ship so she can report back to her Captain," he said. Thelin pursed his lips together for a moment.

"No doubt," he said shooting a glance at Corporal Carr. "Here how about I keep an eye on her. I'll take her to the Mess Hall. It's only thirty minutes before she is scheduled to meet with the others," said Thelin. Aries's eyes widened as her captor's narrowed. He was obviously unhappy to be losing one of his charges. "You can watch the Vulcan. You know how devious they can be," Thelin added. Aries slipped past the guard and mouthed a silent _thank you_ to Thelin. He then continued down the hall and Aries found it a little difficult to keep up as he walked rather fast.

"Uh, thank you," said Aries. Thelin did not say anything. Corporal Carr looked down and saw that he was still carrying her knife in his belt. She would have to find a way to get that back eventually. "Where are we going?"

"The Mess Hall as I said before. Why is it that you Humans try so hard to accommodate Vulcans?" he said rather abruptly as he stopped and stared at her. Clearly, he had heard her plea for T'Pol to have some time alone.

"I don't know. They've done a lot to help us. And, T'Pol's not bad. Seemed like the decent thing to do," she said. Thelin looked thoughtful as he turned the corner and into a large room.

Corporal Carr looked around at the _Kumari's_ Mess Hall and was surprised to find it was not much different than the Mess Hall aboard _Enterprise_. It was large and there were dozens of round tables in the main area, and even what appeared to be a replicator in the corner. It glowed faintly blue, and was lit with blue backlights. It appeared that Andorians never tired of the color. Thelin led her to a table where he deposited her and promised to bring her back something to eat before he disappeared. She glanced around and saw no sign of the others. Thelin returned within a few minutes and placed a bowl in front of her. Before she could ask what it was he had brought her, he spoke.

"What do you want to drink?"

"Uh, you don't happen to have coffee?"

"I don't even know what that is," he said.

"It's a drink meant to help you wake up. It has caffeine," she posited.

"No. But I have two other options for you. Andorian ale?" He picked up one of the mugs he brought. Aries frowned and shook her head.

"Umm, I pretty sure that would put me to sleep," she said.

"Fine, here then. It's _Tamash_. I think it's similar to what Humans refer to as tea," he said pushing the other mug over to her. She picked it up and took a sip. To her surprise it tasted kind of like warm, flat rootbeer. She continued to sip on it as it seemed to be bringing her back to life. She watched as Thelin drank the Andorian ale. Looking down at her plate she saw what appeared to be a pile of chunky, red mush sitting atop some sort of smooth, beige mush. It was fair to say that it looked more than unappetizing, but Corporal Carr did not want to offend the Andorian so she picked up the utensil already buried in the red stuff and took a hesitant bite. It tasted… Well, she was not sure what it tasted like but it was not as bad as she expected.

"Uh, what is this?" she hazarded.

"Andorian Redbat," replied Thelin. "It's a delicacy." Aries nearly dropped the utensil, which appeared to be a cross between a fork and a spoon, but managed to keep a grip on it.

" _Bat?_ As in the animal?"

"Yeah, full of protein. Everything the body needs," he said, looking amused. Aries's eyes widened and she managed a polite smile that disappeared as soon as she looked down again. She was contemplating how she was going to eat it when suddenly Lieutenant Reed appeared. He was being escorted by an Andorian Corporal Carr did not recognize followed by Corporals Diaz and Romero. Aries gave them a wave, and they began walking over to the table when they spotted her.

"Here, sit," said Corporal Carr indicating to the chairs around their table. Lieutenant Reed moved to sit across from the Guardsman and Corporals Diaz and Romero followed suit.

"Where's Commander T'Pol?" asked Aries.

"I believe she is still meditating, however I'm sure she'll be here shortly," said Reed.

"Are you ready to discuss our plan of action?" asked Thelin looking over at Lieutenant Reed.

"Of course, will Commander Shran be joining us?" asked Lieutenant Reed.

"No, Lieutenant Talas will be," said Thelin. Apollo looked over at Aries's bowl.

"What is that?"

"Andorian Redbat," she said. "You want it?"

"Yeah, pass it on over, Carr," he said, looking excited. Aries gratefully pushed the bowl in his direction, and he began to gobble it down like it was Thanksgiving dinner. Corporal Carr suppressed a gag just as Lieutenant Talas appeared followed by Commander T'Pol.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," said Romero looking up. Lieutenant Talas's eyes narrowed a fraction as she glanced at the Corporal.

"You are late, Lieutenant," said Thelin.

"Well, this one," said Talas indicating to T'Pol, "was taking her sweet time." Talas walked over to the replicator and returned with a cup of Andorian ale. Commander T'Pol glanced at Reed and then moved to sit next to Corporal Carr.

"No matter," said Reed staring at Talas as she began drinking the ale. Reed could throw them back with the best of them, but never had he seen a person hold their liquor quite like an Andorian. Or start quite so early in the day. "Well, it appears that we are all here now. Shall we begin?"

"Of course," said Talas gesturing to Thelin with her mug. Thelin pulled out what appeared to be the Andorian version of a PADD and pulled up a map on the screen.

"We are currently about another twelve hours out from _Ra'Gor-eth_ ," said the Guardsman. "We are going to be taking a shuttle and landing just outside of _Tre'du Fah_ in the foothills. It should provide us some cover." He turned the PADD so that Lieutenant Reed could see. Malcolm inched closer and pointed to the darker regions surrounding the proposed location of the landing.

"Is this gray area–"

"Uh, yeah, that would be trees," said Thelin confirming his thought. Lieutenant Reed nodded.

"And where is it that we are meeting these Baltanons?" asked Reed. Thelin pointed to the center of _Tre'du Fah_ on the map.

"Here. There's a local watering hole where we have had dealings in the past. Commander Shran has sent a communique on ahead of us so they know to expect us," said Thelin.

"What can we expect of these Baltanons?" asked T'Pol.

"Well, they _are_ exiles from their own homeworld so don't underestimate them, however they are also traders so they understand there is little to be gained by causing trouble. It would be bad for business, you know. I believe we have little to worry about," said Thelin glancing up at T'Pol. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Lieutenant Reed who seemed to pick up on what she was feeling.

"So, about the weapons," he started. Lieutenant Talas set her empty mug on the table and smiled wide.

"I thought you would never ask. Come, you are in for a treat. I am going to take you to the Armory," said Talas standing. Lieutenant Reed looked up, and had a hard time concealing a smile. He had wanted to see the _Kumari's_ Armory ever since they had boarded. He moved to stand as the others quickly followed.

"Well, Lieutenant Talas, if you will lead the way," said Reed. And, slowly but surely, the incongruous group began to move with an unexpected unity.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Lieutenant Reed was not exactly sure what he had been expecting, but it certainly had not been this. It was true, it turns out, that the _Kumari_ and her Armory made _Enterprise's_ look quite primitive in comparison. And Malcolm realized, to his chagrin, that Lieutenant Talas did have every right to initially scoff at his munitions back when they had first met aboard _Enterprise_ while they were in the Expanse, especially now that he was privy to what the Andorian ship had to offer.

Looking around he briefly wondered, for a moment, whether he was actually dreaming. The _Kumari_ Armory, while no bigger than _Enterprise's_ , boasted at least twice the amount of armaments and mounted artillery. He stared around in wonder, unaware that his mouth hung open slightly, but at the same time aware that he was not, in fact, dreaming as he felt Lieutenant Talas drape a slim, cerulean arm across the back of his neck looking rather pleased by his reaction. Malcolm carefully rolled his shoulders back to free himself of the rather presumptuous liberty she had taken, and her arm slipped off its perch. It was not to say that he did not find it pleasant to be so close to such an attractive female who also happened to share his interests, but he just could not let himself go there. He was well aware of how his body responded when Lieutenant Talas was near, but his mind still refused to be a party to it. He still could not forget what she had done in the Expanse, and he still could not shake the feeling that she was not to be trusted. Talas looked at Reed, studying him for a moment, before she finally spoke.

"Are you not pleased by what you see?" It was obvious she was aware of his sudden change in demeanor, and sought to find the cause for it.

"Of course, this is all very well–"

"Very well? That's it?" Talas asked, brows raised. Lieutenant Reed had been a bit guarded in his dealings with her since they reacquainted themselves and Talas had a feeling she knew why. "I know you must still be upset with me–"

"Upset with you? I think I can come up with something a little better than that," he said. The tone of his voice had turned rather chilly.

"You know I was just doing my job. Following orders," she said, a little defensively.

"You sabotaged the sensor array, Talas, after everything–" Lieutenant Reed paused for a moment and looked down as he was not exactly used to expressing his emotions so openly. They were both standing out of the earshot of the others who were wandering about the Armory with a look of awe on their faces. Looking up, Malcolm's gray eyes stared into Talas's blue before he spoke again. "I shared things about myself, things I don't usually find myself sharing with other people," he said. He was surprised to find himself whispering. "And then you go behind my back and– It felt like a betrayal. It _was_ a betrayal," he said. "I can't trust you, Lieutenant." Talas's antennae drifted apart and she pressed her lips together.

"I'm sorry, really, I am, but I don't know what else to say other than I was doing my duty. You would have done the same," she said. Perhaps he would have, Reed thought, but it still did not change how he felt.

"Listen, let's just get this over with so you and I can return to our work," he said stiffly, as they began to rejoin the others. Talas pressed her lips together and nodded, her antennae slowly straightening. Her expression returned to one of seriousness, and she began to pull out some weapons from one of the nearby lockers and began handing them down to Lieutenant Reed as though nothing had happened.

"Here, we'll take these," she said. Lieutenant Reed grabbed the rifles one by one and began handing them out to group. They were the same type of phaser-rifles that the Andorians had brought along with them when they had boarded _Enterprise_. Once the rifles had been passed out Lieutenant Talas moved onto the next locker, and began pulling out what appeared to be grenades of some sort only these were flat on one side. "Do _not_ drop these," she said fiercely, as she handed them off to Reed.

"What are they?" Reed turned one of the strange little devices over in his hand.

"Proximity mines. They won't detonate unless they are first set, but I've never dropped one and I don't really want to see what would happen if one were to hit the floor," she said.

"Is that really necessary to bring those?" Asked T'Pol who looked rather strange holding an Andorian phaser-rifle.

"Better to be safe than sorry, I say," said Lieutenant Talas. She then began to move on to the next locker where she began pulling down even more equipment.

"She's right," said Reed, who glanced at Talas. Talas looked over at him for a moment before continuing her work. At least it seemed that they could get along professionally.

Corporal Apollo Diaz walked over to Commander T'Pol and adjusted her grip on the weapon.

"You are going to want to hold it like this," he said. T'Pol raised an eyebrow.

"I know how to carry a rifle, Corporal," she said. Lieutenant Talas looked over at the pair of them.

"Perhaps you should listen to him, Vulcan. I don't really feel like getting accidentally shot by you today, and those don't have a stun setting," said Talas. T'Pol narrowed her eyes which roughly translated to being as close to frown as was possible from the Vulcan. Corporal Romero was standing nearby bouncing the rifle in his arms clearly fixated on its light weight.

"Can we all try and get along? I mean we are about to drop down on some mystery planet and meet some mystery aliens while packing some sweet Andorian heat," said Corporal Romero.

"That might be the smartest thing I think I've heard you say," said Talas. Corporal Diaz laughed out loud as he clapped Romero on the back, and Corporal Carr found herself grinning.

"Alright, alright, enough, we are a team now," said Lieutenant Reed. "Can we not act like one?"

The group murmured quietly as they began going through the weapons checks, and the Imperial Guardsmen, Thelin, went over the drop location with Lieutenant Reed again. There were still several hours before they would arrive at _Ra'Gor-eth_ , but thankfully, the Andorians, much like Lieutenant Reed believed in thorough preparation, especially in regards to tactical strategy. And so the group went over the plan several more times before heading off to lunch because the Andorians also believed that that first key to a successful mission was starting one off on a full stomach and after several pints of Andorian ale.

* * *

Trip was in _Columbia's_ Sickbay, and to say it was chaotic would have been an understatement. Every bed, not that there were many, was filled. Several of the crew littered the floor in a wide range of positions, all from lying down to sitting hunched over, as they were hooked up to IV lines. Those who could not fit in Sickbay had lined the hallway, and to make matters worse Dr. Ruben was ill himself, and getting sicker by the minute. When Trip had first arrived Doctor Ruben seemed skeptical when the engineer had offered his assistance, but now he was grateful to have it as the Doctor was rather shorthanded and starting to feel the effects of virus himself.

"Can you tell me what Watanabe's blood pressure is reading, Commander?" asked Doctor Ruben from his position by the computer. Trip was a few feet away standing by the Commander's bio-bed. They had removed the isolation cover hours earlier when it had been determined that the virus had chewed its way through the ventilator. With the quarantine of Commander Watanabe broken it seemed rather silly to leave the cover in place. He had already coded twice, and Doctor Ruben had brought him back both times with a defibrillator.

"The monitor says eighty–"

"Over?"

"Fifty," finished Commander Tucker. Doctor Ruben sighed before coughing. Commander Watanabe was extremely hypotensive and Doctor Ruben was positive that he was suffering from septic shock. He had hooked him up to an intravenous saline drip, but his pressure had not responded to the increase in fluids, and had instead dropped even further over the course of a few hours. To be honest, Doctor Ruben was surprised he was still alive and he knew it was only a matter of time before Commander Watanabe was likely to pass.

"Thank you, Commander Tucker," said Doctor Ruben.

"Is there anything we can do for him?" Trip asked. He was looking down at the Commander. Commander Watanabe's skin looked almost gray in appearance, and slick with moisture.

"No, we've done everything we can. I'm just trying to provide palliative care at this point," said Ruben. He starting coughing again unable to stop, and hunched over as he tried to get a hold of the rather violent episode. Commander Tucker walked over to him.

"You okay, Doc? You don't look so good," said Trip. It was true that Doctor Ruben would normally never have treated patients in his condition, but he had no other choice. He glanced at Commander Tucker who also was looking rather pale himself. He still had dried blood in his nostrils and his eyes were bloodshot.

"No, but let's get you hooked up to some fluids, Commander," said Doctor Ruben.

"I'm fine, Doctor," said Trip looking around at the others who were in a far worse condition than himself.

"Listen, I appreciate your help, and getting some fluids in you will help me keep you in the game for longer," said Doctor Ruben. He had learned that Commander Tucker was one of those suffer in silence types who would rather help someone else before helping himself, and while it was commendable, Doctor Ruben really could use his help. And to the Doctor's surprise, although the Commander was an engineer, he was becoming quite adept at setting an intravenous line. Under normal circumstances, Doctor Ruben would have never allowed a non-medical professional to perform the procedure, however these were not normal circumstances and he had become quite desperate as more and more of the crew fell ill. Commander Tucker had brushed off his unexpected skill as being a result of his extensive experience working with tiny mechanical components, and what was the Human body but a biological machine of sorts.

"Alright, alright, you win," said Trip too tired to put up a fight. He jumped up to sit on the edge of the counter by Doctor Ruben's computer monitor and leaned against the wall. Doctor Ruben went about the quick work of setting the intravenous line as Commander Tucker closed his eyes.

It was then Trip began to think about T'Pol again, and found he was too tired and too sick to try and fight it. He let his mind wander to the memories of their neuro-pressure treatments, and how it had eventually led to more. He thought about the first time that they had sex, and then to the many times that had followed where afterwards he had just held T'Pol close to his chest, and listened to her breathing as she fell asleep. He sighed feeling himself slip into that dark place in his mind were he silently despaired over losing her when suddenly he heard her. He frowned inwardly at the thought. It had to be a trick of the mind, but there it was again. He heard T'Pol's voice, clear as day, call his name. _Trip!_ His eyes flew open.

"T'Pol!" He called out, startling Doctor Ruben.

"Uh, Commander, are you alright?"

"You didn't hear that? You didn't hear her calling my name?" Trip looked around furiously trying to pinpoint the source, searching for T'Pol.

"Uh, no," said Doctor Ruben frowning. Clearly, Commander Tucker had been feigning better health than the Doctor realized as the poor man now seemed to be hearing voices. Doctor Ruben eased him off the counter, and helped lower him to the floor. "Easy Commander, here, why don't you lie down," he said. The dirty Sickbay floor was hardly the best place for anyone, but what choice did he have. Ruben grabbed a blanket from one of the storage cabinets and folded it into a makeshift pillow, and tucked it under Commander Tucker's head.

"Doc, I know what you are thinking, but I'm not crazy. I swear I heard her," said Trip. He was starting to become agitated. Commander Tucker could not understand it, but he was certain with every fiber of his being that that something was wrong. That T'Pol was in danger. Doctor Ruben readied a hypospray wondering who exactly Commander Tucker was talking about. Even though he could use the help it was clear that Commander Tucker needed rest.

"It's okay, Commander. I'm going to give you something, alright? It's going to help you sleep. Just for a little while," said Doctor Ruben.

"I don't need rest, Doc, I need to find T'Pol!" Trip coughed, vaguely aware of a sting at his neck. Suddenly, his vision dimmed, but before he could protest any further his eyes fluttered closed as Doctor Ruben finished injecting a hypospray into his neck.

* * *

T'Pol was sitting rather uncomfortably as the Andorian shuttle sped away from the _Kumari_ and toward the white and gray planet below. She was watching the group before her with mild curiosity. Lieutenant Reed, the three MACOs, and the two Andorians all wore identical looks of serious determination. It seemed strange to her that two such different species could express emotion so similarly, and found that, perhaps, Andorians and Humans were more similar to one another more so than Vulcans and Humans, at least in regards to their emotions.

T'Pol glanced back toward the front of the shuttle. She was trying to keep her mind off how cold she was as she knew that upon landing it was going be significantly colder on the surface. She focused instead on Lieutenant Talas who was manning the shuttle. The Andorian had surprised everyone, except Thelin perhaps, when she had announced that she would be piloting the craft. Apparently, Andorians being foremost a militaristic race, with most being well versed in the finer points of military strategy and advanced weaponry, it appeared many were also well versed in various other skill sets in addition to those of a military nature. Apparently, this could include the ability to successfully pilot a spacecraft. Such a skill seemed to be a prerequisite for serving aboard an Imperial warship as Andorian logic, if you could call it that, dictated that any Andorian aboard a military vessel should be able to take the helm if necessary. It was a rather excessive requirement to adopt by most, no doubt a corollary of their paranoid natures, but the Andorians preferred to call it simply being prepared. And so Lieutenant Talas had jumped into the captain's chair, and was now flying them down toward the snowy surface of _Ra'Gor-eth_.

Just as they were beginning to break the stratosphere of the planet the shuttle began to shake violently, and an alarm began to sound. Commander T'Pol looked around uncomfortably as both Andorians seemed to take no notice of the unexpected turbulence or the alarm. Corporals Carr and Diaz had exchanged worried glances, and Lieutenant Reed looked as though he was going to be ill.

"I think I'm going to be sick," said Malcolm.

"You didn't take an antiemetic?" T'Pol asked as the Lieutenant grabbed hold of the hull. She could see he was starting to sweat.

"I did, but it doesn't seem to be working," said Malcolm.

"Just look toward the front and try to focus on the horizon," said Corporal Carr. "That sometimes helps me."

"Trouble is I don't think I can see a horizon quite yet, but I thank you for the advice all the same," said Malcolm as he dipped his head into his hands. The shuttle continued to shake more violently as Lieutenant Talas and Thelin began arguing.

"Listen, do you hear that alarm? I just lost the auto-pilot as you can see. I'm going to have to land this thing stick and rudder, alright?" Talas sounded more perturbed than was usual. "I can get us to the landing site within about a half of a kilometer, but I can't promise anything else."

"Try to get close to the tree line," said Thelin. The shuttle began to descend rapidly breaking through the cloud cover and T'Pol could start to make out what appeared to be trees dotting the white landscape.

"Listen, as I said I'm not promising anything," said Talas.

"Are we almost there?" Malcolm croaked looking progressively greener.

"Almost, Lieutenant," replied Thelin. Just then the ground appeared ever closer and T'Pol could see that they were no longer above the trees, but below them. Finally, the shuttle shook one last time before coming to a rather abrupt halt, and Lieutenant Reed let out a loud sigh of relief.

"Well, it looks like we made it," whooped Corporal Romero, who was grinning as though he had just gone on the ride of his life.

"MACOs," said Malcolm shaking his head, glancing at T'Pol. "Am I right?" Commander T'Pol only raised an eyebrow as they all began unbuckling themselves and moving to stand.

Thelin moved toward the hatch and unlocked it pushing on it as it hissed open. The group was suddenly hit with a sudden blast of icy air, and both Andorians grinned widely.

"Ah, have you ever felt so alive?" asked Talas closing her eyes, and breathing in deeply.

"It's not home, but it will do," said Thelin as he made his way out of the hatch to begin surveying their landing location. Commander T'Pol zipped her hood as high as it would go and quickly followed behind. The rest of the group slowly filed out of the shuttle. It appeared that they had landed a little further from the tree line than either Lieutenant Reed or Thelin would have preferred, and onto a rather vast and open clearing covered in snow.

"Where are we?" asked Corporal Diaz looking around. Thelin had pulled out some sort of navigational device, and was scanning the area.

"It appears we are only about two kilometers outside _Tre'du Fah_. Good work, Lieutenant," he said glancing back at Talas.

"You're welcome," said Talas as she began to inspect the outside of the shuttle. Corporal Carr was busy looking down at the ground. It was flat. Too flat. In fact, the entire clearing was too flat. She began shuffling her boot against the surface as she came to a sickening realization. When she looked up she could see Commander T'Pol and Lieutenant Reed venturing further out into the clearing, and away from the shuttle. They needed to come back, and just as she was thinking so Corporal Carr heard a distinct crackling noise. It was one that she was all too familiar with having grown up in northern Alaska. It was the sound of ice cracking.

"Uh, Commander, Lieutenant, you need to get back here now!" she screamed. Lieutenant Reed and Commander T'Pol turned to look at her in unison, but it was too late. Just then the frozen ground beneath their feet broke, and both Commander T'Pol and Lieutenant Reed were plunged into the icy water below.


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning: coarse language ahead**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

The feeling of cold, unimaginable cold, followed by pain. Shocking, oppressive pain was the only thing Lieutenant Reed's body registered as he felt himself slip further into the darkness. He was unable to move his limbs as they seemed strangely detached as though they no longer belonged to his body. _This is how I die_ , he thought. It was not as frightening as he once believed. Drowning, as it appeared, was really fairly simple. It was living that was tough, and somehow in that moment, it was the more difficult choice as falling deeper into the frozen darkness was almost blissful as he lost all sensation in his body.

But, suddenly, in the back of Reed's mind he remembered that T'Pol had fallen too, and was somewhere in here, wherever this was, in the freezing blackness. Reed found himself struggling to move, to regain some control. But for every labored stroke, every fruitless kick of his legs, his lungs soon began to burn, and he knew he was close to the end. With one final effort, one he was unsure he would survive, he kicked his legs as hard as he could and, miraculously, he reached the surface and drew breath.

Sucking in deeply, he began breathing quickly, almost to the point of hyperventilation, as the freezing water seemed to suck the air out of his lungs. Frantically splashing around, he could not see T'Pol. He was unaware that at that moment T'Pol was sinking like a stone. Her Vulcan body was designed to withstand a planet with nearly three times the gravity of Earth, so naturally her bone density was nearly three times that of a Human. Such density made swimming a rather laborious task for any Vulcan under the best of conditions, but under these it made it nearly impossible. Still T'Pol struggled and fought as she sank for she was not one to give up, but she soon found herself growing weary. As she drifted down further still, she found herself losing hope in the deafening silence. Perhaps it had been out of instinct or out of love, but she found herself involuntarily calling out to her mate in a last good-bye as she closed her eyes. To her surprise it was not Koss's name on her lips, but Commander Tucker's. _Trip!_

Her thoughts flew to him as she began struggling with renewed urgency against the blackness when suddenly she heard him. She heard Trip call her name. _T'Pol!_ She knew it was impossible, and it was beyond illogical, but she was sure she had heard him, at least in her mind. The thought of Trip, and the desire see him again was enough for T'Pol to find the strength she needed to fight to swim upwards. Clawing furiously against the freezing blackness, her vision beginning to dim, she finally breached the surface. Sputtering and heaving, she turned and saw Lieutenant Reed fighting to stay afloat nearby in the water, and the two of them bobbed unsteadily, gasping for air as the others scrambled to rescue them.

* * *

"I need rope! Or a pole. Something!" Corporal Diaz bellowed as Lieutenant Talas scrambled back into the shuttle to fetch what he asked for. Corporal Carr had already sprinted across the ice and launched herself, belly first, onto the frozen surface sliding toward the hole in an effort to distribute her weight. The ice beneath her groaned, but did no more than that and she silently prayed that it would hold. She was not exactly sure how the ice had collapsed beneath them, her best guess was that perhaps there had been thin spot caused by an air pocket, but the how of it no longer seemed to matter as Lieutenant Reed's and Commander T'Pol's lives were moved to the forefront of her thoughts.

She could see T'Pol bobbing, her arms reaching out, pawing in vain, for the slippery edge as Aries slid closer. When she reached the edge of the hole the Corporal stuck out gloved hands as she tried to grab T'Pol, however the effort proved futile. Her gripped slipped, and T'Pol was plunged under the water momentarily before returning again to the surface, gasping. Aries then tore off her gloves, and reached again for T'Pol's hands, and finally interlaced their fingers. With all her strength she pulled the Commander to the edge. Corporal Carr tried desperately to drag her out of the water, but she was too heavy and T'Pol was too weak to be of help. Aries, unable to do anything, held on tightly. She felt with every passing minute T'Pol growing wearier as her grip on Aries fingers slackened.

"We are going to get you out of there. Just hold on," implored Aries staring at T'Pol. The Commander had grown on her over their many weeks spent together sparring. Even despite her insufferable snoring, Aries had come to consider them friends. T'Pol, unable to speak as the shock of the cold had rendered her speechless, only stared back at her, her lips an unnatural dark green, no doubt from the cold, though she seemed to understand. Lieutenant Reed on the other hand was clearly growing ever weaker as he was barely able to keep his head above the water and began alternately bobbing and sinking and then bobbing and sinking again below the surface.

"C'mon guys! The Lieutenant is not doing too hot over here," yelled Aries. Suddenly, Reed's head dipped below the surface once more, but this time it did not come back up. Aries stared at the water as she held onto T'Pol distraught that while she was helping one she was failing the other. Just then Corporal Diaz returned with a length of rope along with Thelin. They both slid across the ice on their stomachs, and with the added weight of more people, the ice below them creaked perilously.

"Uh, that doesn't sound good," Corporal Diaz shouted as he and the Andorian slid toward the opening.

"Reed just went under!" screamed Aries, turning to look at them. Thelin seemed to be the only one to hear her, and before she could protest further the Andorian slid antennae first into the water. Aries stared horrified after him, a part of her wondering if he meant to dive into the water or if he had terrifically miscalculated his slide.

"What the fuck!" said Corporal Diaz staring after him, equally shocked. "Is he fucking crazy?"

"Help him!"

"What do you want me to do? Jump in after him?" Aries and Apollo stared into the hole at the surface of the water. It lapped quietly, the inky blackness affirming their worst fears. For a moment, they just stared unable to make sense of what just happened, but then, without warning, Thelin returned to the surface, gasping, with Lieutenant Reed. He swam to the side and pushed Reed over to the edge. Apollo grabbed Reed under his arms and dragged him out of the water. By then Corporal Romero and Lieutenant Talas had joined them.

"Romero, help me get T'Pol," said Aries. Romero slid over and grabbed T'Pol under the arms and the two of them dragged the Vulcan out of the water and scrambled across the ice to a safe distance from the opening as Talas helped Thelin out of the water.

"Damn, she's heavier than I thought," said Romero. Aries moved to turn T'Pol over when she saw Apollo at a distance crouching over Lieutenant Reed, his ear to his mouth, listening for breath sounds.

"Uh, he's not breathing," called Apollo. Lieutenant Talas then rushed to his side, and nearly knocked Apollo over.

"Get out of the way," said Talas as she moved to crouch over the unconscious Reed. Without hesitation blue lips sought pink as she began trying to resuscitate Lieutenant Reed. The others could only stare, half in fear that it was too late for the Lieutenant, half in shock that the Andorian seemed to know how to perform CPR on a Human, granted her knowledge of the current procedure was rather dated. Earth had done away with the rescue breathing portion long ago as it was deemed no more effective than chest compressions alone, and yet Talas continued alternating between giving him breaths, her mouth against his, and pumping his chest.

Talas continued her task, and as she lowered her lips to Reed's once more he suddenly sputtered and coughed spewing up a rather copious amount of water, and the Andorian sat back, antennae straightening, as she exhaled a breath of relief. Lieutenant Reed stared up at her for a moment clearly confused by the situation, but eventually spoke.

"T'Pol!" he hissed, almost frantically, as he seemed to remember what had happened.

"She's alright. They got her out as well," said Lieutenant Talas indicating in the direction of where they had dragged T'Pol. Malcolm seemed to relax briefly before starting to shiver uncontrollably.

"You do know they did away with mouth to mouth resuscitation quite a bit ago," Reed said stumbling on the word _resuscitation_ as he looked up at Talas, teeth chattering.

"Not on Andoria," said Talas, venturing a small smile. "Here we need to get you up before you freeze to death," she said. Corporal Romero ran over to help Talas get Lieutenant Reed standing as they made their way to the shuttle. Thelin, still dripping, made his way toward Aries who had managed to flip T'Pol over in the snow. It appeared that T'Pol had lost consciousness, and when Aries turned to look down at her face she gasped. The face she was staring at was not T'Pol's, but Helen's.

" _Helen_ ," she yelped, barely able to keep her voice from sounding like a strangled cry, as she fell back on her behind as she struggled to back away from her, slipping on the ice. Corporal Carr looked pale and was breathing hard as Thelin stared at her. Corporal Diaz appeared a moment later, and frowned at Aries.

"What the hell happened, Carr?" Aries tore her gaze away from Helen's face, and looked up at Apollo unable to speak. But when she looked back down, Helen's face had disappeared, and she found herself staring at T'Pol again.

"I – I don't know. Nothing," she finally managed.

"Never mind, help me get her up," he said reaching for T'Pol. Aries scrambled to stand and the three of them carried the Commander back to the shuttle.

Once inside, they made quick work of undressing both Lieutenant Reed and Commander T'Pol, and began drying them and then covering them in Mylar blankets. Lieutenant Reed seemed to be coming round, however T'Pol continued to slip in and out of consciousness.

Thelin returned to the front of the shuttle having changed out of his wet garments, and into fresh Andorian leathers, and he crouched down next to Lieutenant Reed who was watching T'Pol. She was tossing her head back and forth, and mumbling incoherently.

"She's badly chilled. And she's Vulcan so she's probably the least tolerant of the cold out of all of us," said Aries.

"She's probably hypothermic," said Corporal Romero.

"Yeah, well I'm no doctor, but I think we need to get her back to the _Kumari_ ," said Apollo looking around at the others. Suddenly, T'Pol's hand shot up and grabbed Aries by the neck. Corporal Carr began to choke and turn red and she clawed at T'Pol's hand around her neck trying to peel back her fingers. Lieutenant Talas and Corporal Diaz moved forward with lightning speed to release the Vulcan's vice like grip of the Corporal's neck.

"NO!" T'Pol growled. "You have to get the supplies. For Trip–" She croaked as her gripped slackened and Aries fell to the ground coughing and gasping. Her eyes were watering as she rubbed her neck.

"Fucking Christ!"

"You okay?" asked Lieutenant Talas.

"What do you think?" asked Aries angrily, and Talas's antennae flattened on her head.

"You see you can never trust a Vulcan," she said. "When will you Pink-skins learn?" They stared at T'Pol who had lost consciousness again, and Lieutenant Reed cleared his throat.

"She's right though, you know," Reed said. "We still have to get the supplies otherwise everyone on the _Columbia_ is as good as dead not to mention Commander Tucker and Ensigns Sato and Mayweather."

"You aren't looking all that well yourself, Lieutenant," said Corporal Romero.

"Well, what do you bloody expect? I just fell through ice into a bloody frozen lake for Christ's sake," he said. He was angry, but it appeared it was directed more to himself. "I'll be fine. We just need to focus on the task."

"Well, the plan seems to have gone to shit hasn't it? You and T'Pol are clearly out," said Corporal Diaz. Corporal Carr was still rubbing her neck looking uneasily at T'Pol.

"Umm, can I just say one thing? Whose bright idea was it to land the shuttle next to a frozen lake?" asked Corporal Romero.

"We don't have detailed scans of the planet. We pick a different landing location each time we come," said Talas.

"But, you couldn't have picked another location? One with less ice, maybe? You _are_ Andorians, you know. You would think that you guys could smell that shit in your sleep being that your entire planet is covered in it," said Romero.

"It's actually a moon, you idiot, and it's not that simple," said Talas. Romero scoffed as Talas shot him an icy glare, her antennae pointed forward menacingly.

"Enough!" Lieutenant Reed groaned as he shifted uncomfortably. "The plan will remain the same, however Corporal Carr will substitute for Commander T'Pol, and either Romero or Diaz will go in my place. We all know the plan back to front and we all have the list so it should be quite simple," said Reed. Talas glanced at Thelin and their antennae swiveled as they appeared to be communicating through a sign language of sorts that no one else was privy to. Talas finally sighed.

"Alright, take Romero," said Talas. "Otherwise I might kill him." Corporal Romero winked at Talas who only looked away in disgust.

"Fine, Romero, then. Thelin, Carr, and Romero will go to make the rendezvous in _Tre'du Fah_ ," said Reed. "Lieutenant Talas, Corporal Diaz, and I will stay with the shuttle and try and get the autopilot back up and running, and look after T'Pol." Thelin nodded and stood. Corporals Romero and Carr stood glancing at each other as they began redressing in their winter gear to face the cold once more.

"And you should move quickly as there isn't a lot of time. Good luck," said Lieutenant Reed as the three of them made their back out into the frozen landscape.


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning:** more coarse language ahead

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

Captain Archer sat in his quarters with Porthos. The dog slept soundly at his feet, and he found himself envious of how easily such creatures seemed to pass through life, unaffected. It was late, and he could not sleep, especially not after the news he just received. Only an hour prior, he had learned that Commander Watanabe, the Columbia's science officer, had passed. He was only the first victim and Archer had no doubt that many more would follow, and swiftly too now for once the flood gates were opened there was no stopping the inevitable.

Archer sat back in his chair as he stared at his pet. For a moment Archer wanted to be Porthos, as he looked down at the dog, for the beagle knew nothing of what was happening. _Was it true that ignorance was bliss?_ He wondered. Captain Archer would never know for he carried the burden of knowing everything that went on in his ship, and was forced to live with that knowledge. After he had learned of the tragic news of Watanabe's passing he had rushed to Sick Bay and stood outside the observation window where he could just make out Erika lying in her bio-bed with the cover removed. _Was she to be next?_ He had wondered. He scanned Sick Bay, or what he could see of it, from his vantage at the window, and he could see Hoshi and Travis. The two of them appeared to be sleeping or sedated. Or they could have even been dead for all he knew. Archer's thoughts took a dark turn as he stared at the two of them. _How long would it be now before more would follow?_

Frustrated by his inability to do anything Captain Archer returned to his quarters. He could not sleep, he would not, not while nearly everyone he cared for fought with their lives hanging in the balance. And so he sat in a purgatory of his own making, and prayed that it would only be a matter of time before they received the supplies they so desperately needed.

* * *

Back on _Ra'Gor-eth_ , Lieutenant Reed's chosen trio, which included the Andorian Thelin, and the two MACOs, Corporals Romero and Carr, slowly trekked toward _Tre'du Fah_. Crunching through the snowy landscape, the three of them looked like an unofficial triumvirate walking with their Andorian assault rifles slung across their chests, looks of defiance plastered on their faces, as though ready to administer their authority where they saw fit as they made their way to the seedy, cesspool that was, _Tre'du Fah._

 _Tre'du Fah_ , could barely be classified as a town, let alone a city, however it was the beating heart of _Ra'Gor-eth_ and the primary location of commerce for the whole of the planetoid. The place positively hummed with the vibrancy of only a place of such filth, greed, and immorality could. And as the three of them made their way through the main drag of _Tre'du Fah_ , Aries took in of the various watering holes, drug vendors, and places of ill repute where the workers stood outside in various stages of undress offering up their wares, with roused interest. Romero seemed to be in a similar state of rapt curiosity, so much so that he nearly tripped while watching a woman with three bare breasts undulating to a musical accompaniment that sounded like cars backfiring all to the backdrop of a group of unidentified aliens shooting their rifles into the sky in celebratory phaserfire, of some sort, not unlike Texas on the 4th of July.

"Come," said Thelin dragging Romero away, his eyes still glued to the spectacle, as the three of them continued to push through the ever growing crowd of people toward a building nearby. Thelin stopped in front of the awning and both Corporals looked up. There was writing above the door, clearly the name of the establishment, however it was rendered in a script unfamiliar to the Humans.

" _D'Halsen_ ," said Thelin. "It's Baltanese for 'Thirsty One'." Aries glanced at him, eyebrows raised as she readjusted her grip on the Andorian assault rifle in her arms. Thelin then turned to push the door open and walked in leaving Romero and Carr to follow after him into the darkened entryway. As the door closed behind them it took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the dim lightening, and once they did Aries immediately wished they had not. The scene before them was a veritable assault on the senses, what with the disturbing visuals, the foul smells, and the body heat coming off of the patrons. Thelin seemed to take no notice as he made his way toward the back, clearly no stranger to the joint, and Romero and Carr followed pushing past drunken souls, some naked, some possibly dead or passed out, and some openly fornicating under and on top of tables. Corporal Carr did her best to avert her eyes, but she could not for long lest she bump into any one of the above.

Finally, they stopped at a door in the back where Thelin knocked three times, and a small window box opened in the door and a pair of eyes scanned the Andorian and his two Human companions before abruptly closing once more. They heard a distinct clanking before the metal door was swung open and they were waved inside.

The room was rather large, larger than Aries had expected when standing in wait outside the door, and there were several tables where it appeared elite patrons were playing what appeared to be a card game similar to poker. It also looked to be far cleaner than the front room of the establishment. Just as Corporal Carr was adjusting her translator that had come loose on her collar and was about to ask Thelin what was going on, a rather strange looking creature appeared before them and seemed to recognize Thelin.

"Ah, my Andorian brother, welcome," it said. "We have been awaiting your arrival."

"Yes, I apologize if we are a little late," said Thelin to the creature. It glanced at Romero for the briefest of moments before resting its beady eyes on Aries in what could only be described as rapturous delight, or what seemed to be such, as Corporal Carr really could not tell for sure, as the creature's face was rather bulbous and resembled melted candle wax with dangly tendrils that shook as it spoke.

"Not at all, not at all. Ah, what have you brought me? Something to trade I hope," it said as it licked its lips with a long thin tongue as it stared at Corporal Carr's face. "I wonder if its skin is as smooth all the way down under those garments," it panted as it gave her a full body scan with its deviant stare. Aries hugged her rifle tighter and narrowed her eyes, shooting a glance at Thelin.

"These are my business associates. The Humans who wish to trade with you," said Thelin.

"Ugh, how unfortunate," said the creature, still eyeing Corporal Carr. "Well, let me introduce myself. I am Groeg of the D'Halsen," he stated gesturing to walls around them as though they were in a palace. "I am a Baltanon as you can see." Romero and Carr could see, however neither had encountered a Baltanon before so they only nodded. Groeg bowed before the MACOs with an air of deference, and moved to grab Corporal Carr's free hand and began licking it profusely.

"Uh, I'm Corporal Carr and that is Romero," she managed, forcibly removing her hand from his slimy grip and swallowing a gag as she wiped it on the back of her pants. Romero glanced at her smirking. Clearly, Groeg had no interest in Romero, and Carr suddenly found herself cursing her luck.

"I have never met Humans before, but I already feel predisposed to liking your kind already. Come, let us sit and discuss business," said Groeg as he shuffled away toward a dark, corner table. The three of them followed and took a seat after Groeg was situated. He waved at a server with one of his melted appendages before turning back to the three of them.

"So, I received the list of items you have requested from Commander Shran," said Groeg. "How is Commander Shran? I must admit I was hoping to see him especially now that he is calling in his favor." The server Groeg had flagged walked over to the table and whispered something into a hole in Groeg's head, which was presumably his ear. He glanced at the server and nodded.

"Commander Shran is rather busy, but I will be sure to relay to him how much he was missed," said Thelin. Groeg harrumphed as he sat back. "In the meantime can you review this, and determine that it is correct?" Thelin pushed a PADD over to Groeg who quickly perused it looking irritated. It was the list of items that had requested, however Thelin wanted to be sure that Groeg had gotten everything.

"Yes, yes, we have located all that you have requested though it _was_ more difficult than we initially anticipated. As such, I must tell you this will cost you minus the favor that I owe to Shran, of course," said Groeg.

"How much?"

"Well, it does depend on what you have to offer," said Groeg. Thelin glanced at Romero. They had prepared for this. Thelin had told them that the Baltanons were a greedy bunch, and would immediately try to negotiate for more. Lieutenant Reed and Thelin had gone over this exact scenario at least a dozen times. Thelin nodded at Romero to start the negotiations.

"We have plasma relays," said Romero.

"Plasma relays. No, no, such things are hardly worth my time," said Groeg. Romero glanced at Aries and then back at Thelin.

"What if I told you there were six of them," said Romero. Groeg raised a tendril above his eye.

"Hmm, yes well, I will take them, but surely that's not all you have to offer. I understand that these items on your list are all things you desperately need." They all stared at Groeg knowing full well that he was trying to milk this for everything it was worth. "How about her?" Groeg said, looking innocently at Corporal Carr.

"No," growled Thelin as he shoved his rifle under the table and pressed it to Groeg's crotch. "You know that Andorians do not trade in slaves nor condone such dealings. WE are not Orions and such a suggestion–" Groeg raised his melted arms in a sign of submission.

"Come now, my brother, she would not be a slave. More a… pet you might say. Besides it was only a suggestion. A silly one I realize now," he said looking down at Thelin's rifle still pressed to his groin. Thelin's antennae were pointed forward at a most acute angle and he was breathing rather heavily.

"Antimatter," Carr said, quickly assessing the escalating situation. "We have two hundred and fifty cubic feet. Two storage tanks. Take it or leave it."

"Ah, antimatter… yes, well now that _is_ a useful commodity," said Groeg. He appeared to be thinking. Thelin pushed his rifle harder against Groeg. He winced. "Two hundred and fifty cubic feet, you say. Alright, alright, I accept." The three of them looked at each other and Thelin slowly removed the business end of his phaser rifle from Groeg's nether region. Groeg appeared to relax. Suddenly, the server returned with four glasses, and a bottle of some sort of alcoholic spirit.

"Come, let us drink to our terms," said Groeg as he grabbed the bottle. His demeanor returned to one of joviality as he looked as though he had completely forgotten that only a minute ago Thelin was ready to shoot his junk off. He poured out four large glasses of some sort of grey liquid and passed them around. Thelin grabbed one and so did Romero. Carr hesitated for a moment, but eventually picked up the last glass. "To our mutual understanding. May we have many more such trade deals in the future," said Groeg raising his glass. The three of them followed suit as Groeg drained his cup. Thelin drained his shortly after, followed by Romero who shook his head like a dog afterwards. Corporal Carr drank hers, and held the back of her hand to her mouth upon finishing it to keep herself from regurgitating it back up. Suddenly, her head swam. Romero looked at her, his eyes glazed over, and slammed his cup on the table, burping loudly. Groeg laughed and Thelin looked as composed as ever.

"So, whatdoyoucallthisstuff," slurred Romero.

" _Kempar_ ," smiled Groeg. "It is quite potent, no?" He then turned to Thelin and the two began discussing the logistics of getting the items transported to the _Kumari_ , and then of the subsequent exchange of the plasma relays and the antimatter. Aries swallowed as their voices became muffled as though they were speaking underwater. Unable to keep up she only sat there praying the negotiations would end so that they could return to the shuttle.

"Well, I think that is it then, my brother," said Groeg finally. He stood and clapped a wet hand against Thelin's back. The two Corporals looked up with glazed over expressions as Thelin indicated that it was time to leave. Romero nodded slowly and stood up rather unsteadily, and Corporal Carr followed, before promptly collapsing to the ground.

* * *

Thelin was cursing himself as they headed out of _Tre'du Fah_ and back toward the shuttle. There was no way he could have known that _Kempar_ had a particularly exaggerated intoxicating effect on Human physiology, but he should have foreseen this as a possibly. He, himself, could feel the effects of the drink which was saying a lot, and he knew that Humans, as a whole, were not all that good at holding their liquor.

He trudged along through the snow with Romero stumbling behind. At least the male seemed more tolerant, but the intoxicating effects had also resulted in a rather unfortunate side effect causing him to talk incessantly which annoyed Thelin to no end. Corporal Carr on the other hand was quiet. She was nearly unconscious for she had drunken the same amount as the rest; however she was a good deal smaller than both Romero and Thelin so the _Kempar_ had affected her more severely.

Thelin had thrown Carr over his shoulder, and had privately laughed at the absurdity of the situation. He was carrying her in the same manner an Andorian groom would have carried off his new bride to the public viewing of their consummation after the wedding ceremony. It was a well-known fact that Andorians still practiced the traditional, rather public, bedding rituals following a wedding. In fact, there were many traditions that seemed archaic to some that the Andorian still upheld, such as Andorian women being allowed a last conquest before their marriage. Thelin smiled to himself thinking about the traditions of his people all the while Corporal Carr's tight little bum bounced next to his face, and he had to admit carrying the small Human was not the worst thing he had ever had to do.

Finally, after a sobering walk, for the Andorian at least, the three of them reached the shuttle, and the hatch opened as Lieutenant Talas popped her head out.

"Ah, taken a wife I see, Thelin," she joked. Thelin lifted Corporal Carr off of his shoulder and Talas helped her into the shuttle. Romero followed behind stumbling on the step leading to the hatch. It appeared that Lieutenant Reed was feeling much better, and he had even dressed himself in some Andorian garb which, apparently, Talas found quite becoming.

"What the hell happened?" Reed asked as he stared between the two drunken Corporals.

"The negotiations went well. These two got drunk," said Thelin simply.

" _Drunk?_ They look inordinately pissed, I'd say," said Reed incredulously. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take," he said as he rubbed his forehead, referring to the unforeseen circumstances that kept creeping up. Romero sat against the bulkhead and began swaying in his seat while staring at Talas.

"Lieutenant Talas, you look like a smurf… like a sexy one," said Romero. Talas just stared at Romero, her antennae pointing up stick straight, and then shook her head.

"I don't even know what that is," she said. "Can someone get Romero some water? Sober the idiot up a bit before we leave?" Reed glanced at Talas and the two locked eyes for a moment. Romero stared between the two of them licking his lips.

"You know, you guys are always looking at each other, all angry like, as though you want to fuck each other… to death," hiccupped Romero. Both Reed and Talas froze. "Don't they look like that? I can't have been the only one to notice." Romero slurred as he looked around at the others before turning back to Talas and Reed. "You probably should. Sex solves a lot of problems." Lieutenant Reed colored upon hearing Romero's drunken observation and then at his uninhibited advice, and he quickly looked away from Talas. The Corporal's casual observation had hit closer to home than he realized for the first time, but he was not about to let Lieutenant Talas see that. Swallowing carefully, he turned to speak with Thelin.

"Right, so shall we go over the logistics of the transfer of goods?" Thelin glanced at Talas and then at Reed, and had to admit he had to agree with the Corporal, but he did not say anything. Instead he straightened and began reiterating the plan to Reed. At the same time Lieutenant Talas and Corporal Diaz began pre-flight inspections as Romero eventually passed out raising the total of the unconscious among the group to three. One hypothermic Vulcan and two drunken MACOs.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, I'm aware that the 4th of July is probably no longer in existence being that it's United Earth and all, now, but I liked how it sounded so I left it. And, of course, no offense to any Texans out there! Y'all are pretty wild, in the best sense. Probably pretty fun to party with! Anyway, thanks for reading.


	12. Chapter 12

**Warning:** This story is rated T, however this particular chapter is rated M. It contains adult themes and sexual content toward the end. Proceed with caution otherwise, if you would prefer, you can skip the scene which appears at the end, as it does not distract from the main storyline, and only adds to character development.

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

Hoshi sat on a stool next to Travis's bed as she watched him sleep. Earlier that day, Travis had a seizure. Hoshi had never seen anyone have a seizure. The experience had been a profoundly disturbing one as she watched him, as he shook uncontrollably, and as Hillard had rushed over to him to turn him on his side. Hoshi had wanted to close her eyes or to look away, or even to help, but she could not. She could only stare.

It had reminded her of being at the beach once after a storm where hundreds of fish were left stranded on the sand, contorting their bodies, frantically spasming for air. She had gone there alone, that cold, gray day to grieve after her grandfather died. It had seemed like the perfect place, for the ocean had always had a spiritual hold over her, but instead of thinking of her grandfather she found herself focused on the fish. She had tried to save them, rushing to pick them up one by one, and throwing them back into the water, but there were just too many. Slowly, the flopping subsided, and Hoshi found herself surrounded by death once more, and for the first time she realized just how insignificant she was. That day she had grieved for her grandfather, and for the fish, and for her own inadequacy, for she learned that when death comes there is no one that can stop it.

Staring at Travis now, Hoshi tore her mind from the unpleasant memory. Doctor Phlox had given him a sedative and he now lay quiet, still. His chest rose and fell with each breath in a steady rhythm which was oddly comforting. As she slowly began to relax she found her thoughts wandering to the ocean again. She missed it now and then, for she drew her strength from the water, but space was not all that different. Both quiet and tranquil at their depths; both fiercely dangerous at the times. Hoshi sighed at the thought and interlaced her fingers in Travis's and began absently tracing a circle, like an _ensō_ , on his palm with her thumb. Doctor Phlox walked over to stand next to her, and though Hoshi felt his presence she did not look up to acknowledge it.

"Hoshi, you should be sleeping yourself," said Doctor Phlox, gently. Hoshi looked up with bloodshot eyes. He was right for she was getting sicker by the minute, but she could not give herself over to it. As far as she was concerned she could sleep when she was dead.

"I just… can't," she said. Doctor Phlox nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile as he shuffled over to Captain Hernandez's bed. Hoshi watched Doctor Phlox move away. "How is she doing?"

"Not well, I'm afraid, but I have managed to synthesis a small dose of the treatment with the limited equipment on board, and I am going to be giving it to her," said Doctor Phlox. Hoshi raised her eyebrows.

"Really? That's a good thing, right?"

"Yes, well I hope so. We don't know how she will react to it, or if it will really work. But, I have little choice now." Hoshi watched as Doctor Phlox produced a syringe and injected it into Captain Hernandez's IV line. He stepped back, watching her monitor for a moment. "I suppose we will just have to wait and see," said Doctor Phlox quietly. Hoshi only stared before returning her gaze back to Travis. His eyelids fluttered, but did not open. Silently, Hoshi lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed it before resuming her task of tracing circles again.

* * *

Lieutenant Reed was on the Transporter Deck with Commander Shran as the two waited for the last of the equipment to arrive before transferring the antimatter storage tanks and the plasma relays to the coordinates Groeg had provided on _Ra'Gor-eth_. Reed was still dressed in the Andorian garb as he had not had the chance to change since they boarded. He had rushed off to see that Commander T'Pol was taken care of in the _Kumari's_ Sickbay, at the same time waving off an exam of his own, before then rushing off to the Transporter Deck.

"You know you did not have to oversee the transfer. I know you are probably rather busy," said Lieutenant Reed looking over at Commander Shran. Shran's antenna swayed as he turned to look over at Reed.

"Nonsense. I wanted to make sure that it went smoothly. I owe Archer as much, and as you know an Andorian always repays their debts," said Commander Shran. Lieutenant Reed looked rather serious as his mind wandered to thoughts of Talas and how she had helped save his life. He then thought about her betrayal. _Was her debt repayed?_ He was not sure.

"If you don't mind me asking, what sort of favor did Groeg owe you?" Commander Shran looked over at Lieutenant Reed his antennae pointing forward.

"A few members of the Imperial Guard, as well as myself, were frequenting the _D'Halsen_ a few months back. We had been in the vicinity when a trade deal between Groeg and a few Orions when south. Needless to say we stepped in and assisted Groeg with his problem."

"It seems that Andorians find themselves 'stepping in' to help others quite often. First Groeg. And now us," said Lieutenant Reed. Commander Shran looked thoughtful.

"It is often a matter of honor," said Shran looking at him. "And, the Orions are a vile bunch. It takes little for an Andorian to get involved where an Orion is concerned. Besides, I like you Pink-skins, and I owe Archer." They were quiet as the last of the equipment materialized on the Transporter pad. Lieutenant Reed stepped up to take inventory. He began scrolling through his PADD taking note of the items. Commander Shran cleared his throat.

"Lieutenant," said Commander Shran. Reed looked up from his work, and for the first time Shran looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "I just wanted to apologize to you. You know, for everything that happened in the Expanse. I've apologized to Captain Archer, but I realize now that I owe you one too." Lieutenant Reed just stared at Shran, his face unmoving for a moment, but finally nodded. Commander Shran seemed to relax at his response, and moved to stand next to Lieutenant Reed on the pad. The two of them then began the quick work of moving the items off of the pad readying it for the transfer of the antimatter and the plasma relays.

* * *

Corporal Carr awoke abruptly, and immediately felt panic as she looked around. She squinted in the darkness. For a moment she was not sure where she was, but as sat up and scanned the room she saw that she was back in her quarters on the _Kumari_. Her head was throbbing, and as she began rubbing it she remembered the _D'Halsen_ and Groeg and then the _kempar_ , and then vaguely of being carried by Thelin. She felt her embarrassment flare at the memory for she did not like being in such a vulnerable position. Rubbing her arms, her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and she noticed she was not alone in the room. Thelin sat in a chair in the corner, and he was so quiet she was not sure if he was sleeping.

"What are you doing here?" Corporal Carr asked. For a moment she thought perhaps he was sleeping, but suddenly she could make out movement in the darkness and Thelin sat up and turned on a light.

"You asked me to stay," he said simply.

"I did?" She did not remember asking him anything. In fact, she could not remember being dumped in her quarters. She looked down. She was wearing her standard issue military tank and underwear, and her eyes immediately snapped up to look at him.

"Don't worry. Talas undressed you," he said reading her thoughts. Corporal Carr relaxed. It did not really bother her to be seen in such a state of undress per se, as she was used to the co-ed hygienic and living arrangements of the MACOs, but she did not like having no memory of the event.

"Where's T'Pol?"

"In Sickbay," replied Thelin.

"Is she alright?"

"I have been told she will recover," he said.

"Hmm. Did we get the equipment?"

"Yes, it is all on board. We will be leaving orbit in a few hours. You should go back to sleep," he said. She could tell he was not much of a talker. Neither was she, but now she was awake.

"I can't really sleep with someone staring at me from the corner," she said. Thelin rolled his eyes.

"Would you prefer if I sat outside the door?"

"Wait, you guys are still posting a guard outside our quarters? Seriously? You _are_ paranoid," she said.

"I don't make the rules," said Thelin.

"Don't _you_ need sleep?"

"There are few species who need as much sleep as Humans. I will rest later," he said as he sat back. "Go to sleep," he ordered.

"I can't sleep now," she said. Her brain was too wired. It happened sometimes. She could fall asleep easily, but staying asleep was another thing.

"Fine, suit yourself," he said. And the two of them just sat there in awkward silence for a moment. Aries fiddled with a hair tie. Thelin sighed. Clearly, this was going nowhere. Thelin looked over at her, and Aries felt his eyes move to her scar. She pressed her lips together.

"What happened there?" He asked pointing to the thin, white scar that ran from the base of her nose down through her lips all the way to her chin. Aries sat in silent surprise for a moment. No one had ever asked her what had happened before. She absently touched her mouth before she spoke.

"I was attacked by a winter bear when I was young," she said quietly.

"A winter bear," he repeated. She could tell he was curious, though not in an overly prying sort of way, and she felt herself unexpectedly relenting a little.

"I'm from northern Alaska," she said. "A particularly harsh, cold region, probably not as cold as Andoria, of course, but still cold." Thelin was quiet. It was clear he waiting for her to continue, and Aries slowly found herself telling the story that continued to haunt her.

"It happened when I was thirteen. I was out collecting firewood with my sister, Helen. We weren't far from our home. My father had wanted us to bring the phase-rifle, but I did not want to lug it with me. So I let Helen carry it and I just brought my knife. The very same one you are now carrying," she said. Thelin's antennae quirked as she gestured to her knife in his belt.

"Anyway, when we had finished collecting the wood we began heading back and that's when I heard something in the woods," she said. "I told Helen to start running, but when I looked back I saw that it was a Grizzly." Thelin's antennae swiveled, so Corporal Carr set to explaining. "It's a huge animal with large teeth and claws, but it was the dead of winter so it should have been hibernating," she swallowed. Thelin looked very serious, but continued to listen intently.

"Winter bears are considerably more dangerous as they are usually desperate and starving. We ran as fast as we could, but it caught up to us. It attacked Helen first and she fell in the snow. She tried to shoot it but–" Corporal Carr looked down for a moment as the image of Helen lying in the snow appeared in her mind. She remembered her pale face as it stared up at Aries; her small mouth tinged red with blood, her eyes blank. Aries took a deep breath as she willed the image away and glanced at Thelin for a moment.

"She was so small and so young. She didn't stand a chance," she said. "I don't even remember jumping on it. I only remember staring up at it, at its mouth as it clawed my face," she said quietly as she stared off. "I thrust my knife into its neck it as deep as I could–" She closed her eyes. She could remember every detail as though it had been yesterday. She remembered the weight of the bear as it slumped lifelessly on top of her. Its warm blood spilling over her hands and face and into her mouth as she swallowed the metallic taste of it. She shivered.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter now. Helen is dead, and I have to live with that," she said. They were both quiet, and Aries found herself staring at the wall.

"I'm sorry," said Thelin finally, startling Corporal Carr from her reverie. "But, you honored your sister in death. It is all any of us can ask for," he said. Aries frowned. _Had he not heard the story?_

"No, I failed her, you see. I was the oldest, I should have been the one carrying the gun. I could have saved her," she said as she felt her voice rise slightly toward the end. Thelin shook his head.

"You don't know that. You can never know that, however you can rest well knowing you avenged your sister by killing that which killed her," he said. Vengeance and honor. They sounded like the ideals of a bygone age. She stared at Thelin. No one had ever explained it quite like that. She sat back and rested her head against the headboard as she stared up at the ceiling, thinking. Finally, Thelin spoke again.

"You, Humans, can be very brave when called upon. I think we have this in common. But now you must sleep," he said. Aries swallowed and nodded. She was tired of talking. A minute later the light switched off, and Corporal Carr repositioned herself to lie back down as she closed her eyes. And for the first time in a long time she slept.

* * *

Lieutenant Talas found herself carrying Lieutenant Reed's freshly laundered garments that had been soaked from his dip in the lake on _Ra'Gor-eth_ to his temporary quarters aboard the _Kumari_. When she reached the door she hesitated for a moment before pressing the comm. Reed answered looking from her and then to the garments before stepping aside to let her in.

"Your clothes," she said lifting them into view.

"Thanks," said Reed, taking them from her. Their fingers brushed in the transfer. Talas noticed that he was still dressed in the Andorian garments that had been packed in the shuttle for incidents such as these, and Talas found her staring at the man for a moment. When she noticed he had raised his eyebrows, she hurried a question as she looked around at nothing in particular.

"You received all the equipment and supplies that you needed?"

"Uh, yes, I took inventory of it all myself with the assistance of Commander Shran. Everything is accounted for," he said. Talas nodded. They both stood in awkward silence for a moment. Finally, Reed spoke.

"Was there something else?" The tone of his voice had turned rather cold again, and Lieutenant Talas found herself frowning. She was certainly not trying to elicit gratitude for her actions in helping save his life; however she had not expected him to continue with his icy treatment of her. Talas distinctly felt like Lieutenant Reed was still punishing her for what transpired in the Expanse and for the first time it angered her.

"No, nothing," she said.

"Alright then, goodnight," said Reed abruptly. Talas pressed her lips together and turned to the door as she felt heat rise to her face. Without thinking she turned back around, and to her horror she pushed Lieutenant Reed as hard as she could. She had not really meant to, but she was just so infuriated with him. Had Lieutenant Reed been an Andorian male he might have assumed that she was trying to initiate a romantic relationship, but given he was Human, such an assumption would have been more than absurd. So, it was safe to say that it had taken Talas by complete surprise when the man had responded by abruptly pushing her back and up against the wall, his lips locking onto hers.

Although Talas had been surprised she found that the feelings it had occasioned were not unwelcome, and she returned Lieutenant Reed's kiss with equal fervor, her lips moving insistently against his. Without another word they both began to shed their clothing at a hurried pace. Their lips parted momentarily as holsters and armored pieces of clothing fell away and clattered to the floor. Quickly relieved of his clothing, Reed grabbed Talas once more as their mouths came together moving more forcefully as each desperately sought to taste more of the other. Finally pulling away to draw breath, Talas pushed her palms against Reed's bare chest, and he fell back into the chair in the darkened corner of the room.

Talas then stepped forward toward him. She was still wearing her undergarments. Without thinking she reached with hands that shook slightly to divest herself of the rest of her clothing as Lieutenant Reed watched. She stood there, for a moment, letting him drink in the sight of her before she moved forward. Crossing a graceful, cerulean leg across his thigh, she straddled him, but did not lower herself down. Lieutenant Reed looked up at her for a moment staring, his gray gaze fixed on her blue. Both seemed lost in the moment as time seemed to halt, but, suddenly, without warning, Reed grabbed her by the waist and lowered her onto him, roughly.

Talas breathed in, wincing slightly, for she was not expecting him to take her quite then, or for him to be so forceful. She moved to wrap slender arms around his neck, dipping her head against the crook of his shoulder as she held on. Lieutenant Reed paused briefly upon hearing her sudden intake of breath and at the way she had tensed at his hurried penetration of her, but only for a moment. Then, silently, wordlessly, he began to move inside of her again. He positioned her, lifting her body to rest against his, as he set a pace that was both tortuously sweet but also agonizingly brisk. It was true Talas was Andorian, and such aggressive carnal relations were nothing new to her, and she enjoyed them even, but she had thought it would be different this time. That Lieutenant Reed would be different. He was Human and for the first time in her life Talas wanted a Human's touch. However, it seemed that Reed was of a different mind and almost seemed to want to punish her with his rather primal taking of her. She drew her face back to look at his for a moment. She was sure now that he still had not forgiven her. Talas had known this in the back of her mind, and yet she had still come to his quarters.

Reaching for his face, desperate for connection, for forgiveness, she placed a hand on either side of his jaw. She could feel the stumble of a beard growing in, and found it strange and alien to her. And although she found the prickly sensation odd it did not stop her from running her fingertips along his jaw as she drew his mouth to hers. She kissed him again carefully, almost tenderly. Perhaps she had broken the spell for something inside of him seemed to snap. Suddenly, he stilled and returned her kiss, only more gently this time. They stayed this way for a moment, lips moving slowly, Talas running her hands through Reed's hair, Reed letting his fingers skim lightly over Talas's arms. However, it was soon apparent that such gentle caresses were not enough, and without warning Lieutenant was lifting Talas up in his arms and carrying her over to the bed where he deposited her gently onto her back.

Talas lay, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for Lieutenant Reed to join her, however he never followed. Instead his head dipped lower, and she watched as his lips brushed lightly against her stomach before they continued further down. Gently, he parted her legs, his head finding its way between her thighs. Talas closed her eyes and sucked in a breath as she felt him reach his target. Wrapping an arm around her one of her legs Lieutenant Reed gently drew her closer to his mouth, and Talas found herself biting down hard on her lip as she involuntarily writhed against him. Her thoughts became a jumble as she began weaving blue fingers through brown hair as his tongue and his mouth, with those soft pink lips, continued their salient work with ruthless efficiency. Slowly, she began to feel herself unravel as she lost the battle of control. The flame inside of her became a fire which grew to such a pitch she could no longer rein it in. Surrendering to the sensation, she let it take her, and she felt herself getting swept away as powerful waves washed over her.

She was vaguely aware that he had moved above her and gently placed a finger against her lips. Talas felt the tension in her body all but disappear. She was ice, but Reed had turned her into a puddle. Soon she found herself kissing that finger that rested against her lips and moved to take it into her mouth, sucking gently before biting down. To her surprise Reed's breathing hitched as he watched her. After a time, he extracted his finger from her lips and rested his hand on her hip as he positioned himself above her. This time, she was more than ready for him, and slowly, languidly he entered her again.

Talas had expected Reed to remain silent as their bodies came together, as he was before, however something in him had changed and he seemed to give himself over to the experience. They began to move together with an unexpected rhythm, a cadence, that seemed both natural and exacting as though it was not their first time. They were both Tactical officers after all, and both reveled in precision and order in everything they did so it should not have come as a surprise when they moved with the fluidity of lovers who had been together a hundred times over. As they inched closer to the inevitable, Lieutenant Reed's breath became ragged as slow, exquisite movements gave way quicker more desperate ones. Before long, Talas felt herself returning to the edge of the abyss, the fire inside her building anew, as she stared up at Reed. They locked eyes for a moment, before she cried out, and threw herself over as Lieutenant Reed tumbled after her. Eventually, their breathing slowed and, for a moment, they just lay there quietly and unmoving. They stared at one another unable to speak. After a time, Reed leaned down from his position above her and kissed her briefly, almost dispassionately even, which spoke of his reserve that seemed to be returning. He rolled off of her and onto his side, and Talas found herself unexpectedly surprised when Lieutenant Reed drew her into his arms. He had forgiven her. Sighing, Talas closed her eyes and rested her head against Reed's chest as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Okay, so maybe some of you won't agree, especially those who expected Talas to take charge, but I think Talas has a tough girl exterior that hides a slightly more vulnerable side, especially when it comes to Reed, and I think Malcolm is a little more passionate than he lets on so that is how the above was born. Just my interpretation. Next chapter I'll address a little of Reed's perspective of the situation.


	13. Chapter 13

**Warning:** The following chapter has graphic depictions of violence. Proceed with caution.

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

T'Pol squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright light. She raised a hand to shield her eyes as she sat up. She had just had a dream about Commander Tucker. At least she thought it had been a dream, but it had a strange quality to it. It felt almost _real_. She had dreamt he had been lying on the ground, dried blood crusted in his nostrils, his blond hair plastered to his forehead, and he had been mumbling something in his sleep. T'Pol had been standing over him, and when she crouched down and gently touched his shoulder his eyes flew open.

"T'Pol?" Commander Tucker looked rather surprised and almost confused to see her. "Are you alright? I've been so worried." T'Pol frowned. It seemed strange to her that he should be worried, for how could he have known she had been in danger, but then again it was a dream.

"I am fine. But, it appears it is you who is unwell," she said looking him over. He was very pale, gaunt even, and it pained T'Pol to see him in such a condition. She was used to the vibrant picture of health that was Commander Tucker. He coughed.

"Yeah, well, I'm hanging in there, but if I'm seeing you I must be losing my mind. Either that or I'm dead," he said. T'Pol frowned again. This Dream Tucker was an odd fellow. T'Pol moved to sit next to him on the floor when he suddenly reached for her hand. She felt a shock of electricity run up her arm which was followed by a wave of emotions that were not hers. She looked at Trip. He was staring up at her, his expression softening.

"T'Pol, listen, I have to tell you something," he said. He began coughing again, but this time he was momentarily overcome, and he seized up as a series of coughs wracked his body. T'Pol furrowed her eyebrows as she felt her throat nearly close. Finally, the coughing subsided. "Listen, if I don't make it, if I die, I just want you to know that I'm sorry. For everything. And that… And that I still love you," he said. His words touched her, and T'Pol found herself gripping his hand tightly.

"You can't speak like that. It's going to be alright, Trip. We are getting the supplies. We'll be back soon. You must hold on," she pleaded. T'Pol was not exactly sure why she was trying to mollify this Dream Tucker, as he was only a figment of her imagination, but there was something about him and the dream that seemed terrifyingly realistic. Trip managed to smile up her, a once simple task that was now clearly laborious, and for a moment T'Pol was reminded of the vibrant Tucker she knew.

"I'm just glad I got to see you again," he whispered as he raised a hand to touch her cheek. T'Pol felt her eyes close involuntarily, and she leaned into that touch for a moment. When she finally opened her eyes she watched as his hand went limp and his eyes took on a glassy appearance as they began to flutter and close. T'Pol shook her head as she watched Trip lose consciousness. She could tell he was still alive as he was still breathing, but it did not stop the lump in her throat from nearly choking her. Stifling a sob, and sucking in a breath, she awoke.

When her eyes finally adjusted to the light she could see that she was in the Sickbay of what could only be the _Kumari_. As she looked around she could hear the steady whirl of machinery and medical equipment, and was vaguely aware of the antiseptic smell of the place. It was strange too because, for a moment, she thought she could smell the scent of Commander Tucker lingering in the air, but she reminded herself that it had all been in her head. As she rubbed her forehead she swung her legs over the side of the bed and pressed her bare feet to the floor. Before she could barely register that the floor was cold, that's when she heard it. An alarm.

* * *

 _Bloody hell_ , Malcolm thought as he stopped to watch Talas for a moment in the mirror. He was in the bathroom prepping to shave, and had just lathered his face. He was going on three days' worth of growth, and he knew it was going to hurt. But, before he could start he noticed Talas out of the corner of his eye in the mirror. She was still naked, but she had taken to folding the clothes that were strewn about the floor during their escapade, and was now making the bed with hospital corners. He watched as she bent over, tucking in the corners with military precision. A woman after his own heart. He watched her for a moment bending over again to smooth the sheets. He had always though T'Pol had a fine bum, but after seeing Lieutenant Talas'… He looked back at himself in the mirror, and then at the sink. He then thought about bending her over that sink. His mouth went dry. Clearing his throat and shaking his head of the illicit thought he resumed his task, and brought the razor to his face.

Only a moment later, Talas appeared behind him in the mirror. She pressed her cool body against his back, and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder as she watched him work. She was a little taller than him so it was a perfect fit. Malcolm could distinctly feel her petite breasts pressing up against him, and suddenly the towel around his waist seemed rather tight.

"You are shaving," she said, her antennae pointed forward in a manner that appeared almost curious. Malcolm glanced at her for a moment through the mirror. He had to admit she looked rather cute just then.

"That I am," he said, and he contorted his face slightly so he could shave his jaw.

"I kind of like it, the hair that is," said Talas. "It's different. Andorian men don't have facial hair. Or chest hair for that matter." Malcolm smiled slightly as he watched as her blue fingers lightly skimmed over his chest. He was not terribly hirsute, but it was amusing to find a woman who was so enraptured by it. He turned around to face her.

"You like it do you?" He said mischievously. Talas smiled and glanced at the blade in his hand.

"May I?" She asked glancing down at the razor. Malcolm frowned, but let go. Talas turned the blade over in her hand. Malcolm was a little old fashioned preferring to shave with a straight razor. It lent to a superior shave, in his opinion. Malcolm continued to watch her, and suddenly she raised the blade to his face. He grabbed Talas' wrist.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"I was going to shave you," she said, as her antennae straightened. Malcolm raised his eyebrows. "You don't trust me with a blade?" She was staring at him, and he stared back at her before he finally sighed, relenting. He had never had a woman, or anyone for that matter, shave him. And never in a thousand years would he have considered letting Lieutenant Talas do so, but after their rather unexpected yet intimate relations he felt a little differently. He watched at Talas carefully angled the blade as she touched it to his face, and began slowly swiping it along his skin in the direction of the hair growth. She rinsed the blade after each pass under the cool running water, and carefully continued her work. He had to admit it he found it amusing to watch her as she seemed to take the task very seriously with a focus that was laser sharp. As she worked he took the opportunity to glance at her neck, and noticed she was wearing a rather thin chain with a clear tag attached. He picked it up turning it over in his fingers.

"What is this?" He asked, trying not to move his mouth too much as she was working her way around his lips. The tag was hexagonal in shape and made of a thin glass-like material and there was some sort of inscription etched on it in what he assumed might be Andorian.

"It's my identification tag. Similar to your Human 'dog tags'. All members of the Imperial Guard wear them," she said, rinsing the blade again. "They have no inherent value anymore as the dead can be identified by a blood sample, but they are traditional, and when we are dead it is also tradition to bring them to the Wall of Heroes along with a vile of blood. The tags are meant to signify a piece of Andorian ice we carry with us, but it must also be returned."

"Hmm," said Malcolm thoughtfully as he gently replaced the tag on her neck. "That is quite lovely, really," he said. He remained quiet as Talas finished up. When she was done, Malcolm touched his hands to his face. He was impressed. It was a close shave. "Very nice, Lieutenant, a job well done." Talas smiled as Malcolm continued running his hands over his face and neck.

"Now, _I_ need to jump in the shower and get cleaned up, and head to the Bridge. We are going to be leaving orbit soon, and will be heading back to rendezvous with your ship," she said. He watched as she walked over to the shower. Malcolm thought about joining her for a moment, but then he remembered T'Pol.

"Yes, well, I should probably dress and go and check on Commander T'Pol," he said. Talas nodded when suddenly an alarm sounded. It was loud. It caused Lieutenant Reed to jump slightly, and he quickly glanced at Talas who looked alarmed. "What is that?" Talas was silent as she crossed the room and began to slide on her clothes. Finally, she spoke.

"Tactical alarm, get dressed. Quickly now," she said.

"Should we head to the Armory?"

"No, no time," she said. She moved toward the door and pressed her palm to a panel on the wall, and a blue light appeared and scanned her hand. Suddenly, the panel clicked and popped open. She slid the drawer inside open revealing a trove of weapons. She grabbed two rifles and tossed one to a rather shocked looking Lieutenant Reed. "Come, we need to get to the Bridge."

* * *

Aries awoke, but this time she was alone. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Glancing at the table by the bed she noticed her knife. It was just lying there, although obviously carefully placed, with the ankle wrap folded neatly beneath it. She picked it up and turned it over in her hand as she smiled to herself. Thelin must have left it for her, and she reminded herself to remember to thank him. Carefully, she slid the ankle wrap on and sheathed the knife. Looking around she wondered what time it was. She got up and dug through her duffel as she found a pair of tactical pants and slid them on as well as a compression top which she slid over her head. She glanced at T'Pol's bed which still lay empty. She wanted to check up on her and see how she was doing. Standing, Corporal Carr walked over to the bathroom where she brushed out her hair and swept it up into a ponytail. She then quickly brushed her teeth, and when she was finished she headed over to the door. Lifting her hand she knocked on it, but received no answer. Frowning, she knocked on it once more, but again no answer. It was strange. She pressed the door release button, and to her surprise it slid open.

Corporal Carr peered into the hallway. It was dark and glowed faintly blue, but it was eerily silent. She noticed there was no guard posted outside the door, but yet the chair remained. She frowned. It was odd. Slowly, she exited her quarters and began walking down the hallway. There was no noise save for the quiet clicking over her boots. As she continued she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand and she glanced around, but saw no one. A rather ominous feeling began to creep over her, and a part of her wished she had a gun with her. Taking a deep breath she rounded the corner just as huge green arms grabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground.

For a moment she could not breathe. She just lay there gasping. The wind had been knocked out of her lungs, and when she finally managed to suck in a breath she immediately found herself struggling again to breathe as suddenly there was a man on top of her, crushing her. To her horror, horrible, green hands began groping her everywhere and started fumbling to reach under her shirt, and Aries had to fight the urge not to scream. The man's breath was hot and acrid, and something wet was dripping on her face, although she was not sure which orifice the moisture was coming from. She tried to kick him, but the effort was proving fruitless. He was so heavy and kept moving constantly so although her strikes were sound she could not land a solid blow to any part of him. She was strong, but she had never felt so helpless in her life. Struggling, she tried reaching for her blade she had concealed in the ankle wrap, but the man's lower body was crushed against hers and she was effectively pinned from the waist up. He made a move as though to kiss her, and she turned her face away and felt as something wet lapped against her cheek and neck. Her heart was pounding in her throat. She had to do something. Reaching up, Corporal Carr pressed her hands against his face, her thumbs finding his eye sockets, and without hesitating she pushed them home.

She felt a sickening pop and then a rush of hot wetness and the gigantic green man made a terrible noise like a wounded animal and moved off of her just enough to allow her to reach down and retrieve her blade. Gripping the handle, she turned the knife inward, the blade facing toward her as she drove it into his back as hard as she could. Thankfully, it sunk in quite easily, obviously missing ribs and such, but now it seemed quite stuck. The man cried out loudly, and still holding the handle, Aries twisted it as hard as she could. He cried out again, but this time he rolled off of her and she was able to scoot herself out from under him. Suddenly, Thelin appeared from around the corner in the hallway, and his face morphed from one of surprise to one of blind rage as he looked between Corporal Carr and then the man.

"Thelin!" Aries scrambled to her hands and knees and moved over to the side, but just then she saw two more huge green men appear from out of nowhere behind Thelin. "Behind you!" she screamed, but it was too late. One of the men grabbed the Andorian, and he fell to the ground as he began grappling with him. The other took notice of Aries and began to pace toward her. She glanced around and saw that the phaser pistol from the one that had attacked her had slid across the hallway. She scrambled over to it. The man saw what she was about to do, and lifted his own, but Aries was quicker as she grabbed the gun. Although it was different than anything she had ever fired, she found what appeared to be a trigger and took aim. Without hesitation she dispatched him with two shots. One to the head, between the eyes, and one to the abdomen. Corporal Carr watched as the man felt to his knees, and slumped over. Green blood oozed onto the floor pooling in a sickening puddle.

Unsteadily, she moved to stand, and ran over to where Thelin was locked in a fierce battle with the other man. He was nearly twice Thelin's size, and though the Andorian was putting up a good fight it was clear it was one he was going to lose. Aries felt her heart clench unexpectedly as she watched as Thelin struggled, and she took aim. They were too close. If she was off by a hair she could miss and hit Thelin. They continued to struggle rolling around on the ground when finally the man flipped Thelin onto his back and began choking him. Thelin gasped as the man squeezed his hands around his neck tighter, and Aries rushed over. With the butt of the gun she slammed it into the back of the man's head. He cried out, arching up in pain, and Thelin was able to overtake him and flip him over onto his back.

"Thelin! Don't move!" Aries ordered, and Thelin froze, his antennae stick straight, as Aries shot the man twice, in the face, from under him. He glanced at her looking surprised, perhaps by her marksmanship and rose quickly, but not before he tore the man's phaser pistol from his body.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he grabbed Corporal Carr by the hand and looked her over quickly.

"Yeah, I think so. What were those things?"

"Orions," he said, as they quickly began to make their way down the darkened halls of the _Kumari_. Thelin suddenly stopped in front of a non-descript panel along the wall and uncovered a keypad of sorts. He entered a code, and suddenly the lights dimmed, and an alarm sounded. Thelin moved to grab Corporal Carr's hand again, and started running. Aries matched his pace as he pulled her along.

"Where are we going?" She shouted above the roar of the alarm.

"To the Bridge," Thelin said as he gripped Aries' hand tighter.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Doctor Phlox stood there thinking about his early days as a newly minted physician on Denobula. Everything had been simpler back then. But, perhaps, it was because he was not yet jaded by experience for even then death was nothing new to him. It was, after all, a part of life, and as one who worked in the medical field he had almost grown accustomed to it over the years, desensitized even. It may have seemed like a cold and callous approach to adopt, especially to those on the outside, however until one worked in such a field there was no explaining the measures one took to protect themselves from what most people did not have to bear witness to more than perhaps a handful of times throughout their life. It was not to say that seeing death never got to him. There were still plenty of times when it still managed to creep up under his skin and find its way to his heart no matter how hard he tried to remain indifferent.

It had been many years ago, but Phlox could still remember the event as though it had been yesterday. There had been a deadly explosion aboard a cargo ship that had been orbiting Denobula Triaxa. Phlox had been a part of the emergency medical team sent to the scene. One of the first responders. A total of twenty-five Denobulans had died in the blast; most of whom had been discovered on the Bridge. It was the first time he had seen so many dead bodies in one place. Seventeen in total on the Bridge alone. He could still recall the number. By then he had seen death hundreds of times, however he had never seen such a tragic display until that day.

It is said that smell is tied to memory more intrinsically than any other sense, and Phlox could still vividly remember the smell of charred flesh. It was not so unlike the smell of burnt feathers or burnt hair. And he could even remember the other smells too. The fetid mix of blood, urine, and feces. Unbeknownst to some, people often defecated shortly after death, and while Phlox had been aware of this little known fact he was still unprepared for the overwhelming odor. The miasma of death. And it was one he never forgot.

Such memories still managed to tug on his emotions all these years later especially after what he had done. Only a few hours earlier Doctor Phlox had sent Hillard back to the _Columbia_ , in full hazmat attire of course, as Doctor Ruben had finally grown too ill to properly continue treating patients in his deteriorating condition. Phlox harbored some guilt in sending Hillard back. He knew what awaited the young man on the _Columbia_. Death and its vapors. Four more had perished since Commander Watanabe passed. Two Crewmen, one Ensign, and a MACO. While Doctor Phlox did not recognize the names of any of them, he was well aware that these were likely people that Hillard knew.

Phlox did not have long to wallow in vicarious dread for Hillard as he was now faced with his own distressing situation, and he was almost glad he was alone for a moment. He needed to get a handle on his own state of mind as it seemed this was one of the times that death had its hold on him. Swallowing, he simply stood in front of Captain Hernandez's bio-bed unmoving for a while. There was no one there to protest or question what he was doing save for his creatures perhaps. His bat chirped quietly, and it brought him some comfort knowing he was not truly alone. Ensign Sato had finally fallen asleep and Ensign Mayweather remained unconscious.

Phlox stared down at Captain Hernandez's face. For the first time in a long time she looked serene. Her heart had stopped nearly thirty minutes prior, and he had been unable to revive her. Her heart was most likely weakened from the effects of the virus, although he could not be sure until he performed the autopsy. Although a half hour had elapsed, it felt like it had been hours, and yet Phlox still did not have the strength to inform Captain Archer that she had passed. It was true that Denobulans were known to be a rather optimistic species, however even the most cheerful had their trying times, and for Phlox this was one such time. It was not that he was particularly attached to the woman. In truth, he had only met her once, officially, and while Captain Hernandez had been all ease and friendliness Phlox had no reason now for any especial attachment given they had been barely acquainted.

His distress lie in what he would have to do next which was to tell Captain Archer. Jonathan Archer, who unlike Captain Hernandez, was someone who Phlox considered a close colleague, a friend even, and giving a friend devastating news was the last thing anyone wanted to do. For one, he knew that Captain Archer was not going to take the news well, and to be honest Phlox was not exactly sure how he would react. It was Phlox's understanding that both Captain Archer and Captain Hernandez had shared a romantic history. Having to explain to the Captain that his former love had died even after receiving the treatment was not something he was ready to do. So he stalled.

Well, it was not exactly stalling, for it was something that he had to do. Doctor Phlox had taken a sample of Captain Hernandez's blood right before her death, and he now needed to check her viral load and white blood cell count. If her viral load had lowered it could point to the efficacy of the treatment despite her death. The fact that she had died could have simply meant that she had received the treatment too late, but again he could not be sure until he tested her blood and performed an autopsy. Still, he could not help but hold out some hope that if the treatment was effective he could begin synthesizing the serum, and at a much faster rate once he received the equipment and supplies he needed. And despite the tragic circumstances he found himself half-smiling for the first time in a long time.

"Doctor?" Phlox turned, half surprised to hear his name and unaware he was still half grinning, to see Hoshi sitting up in her bed. She looked pale, but her eyes suddenly seemed brighter. She hazarded a small smile of her own clearly interpreting his grin for good news. "You look relieved. Is that a smile I see, Doctor? The treatment worked didn't it? Captain Hernandez is going to be okay, right?" And with that Doctor Phlox felt his smile fall away like a distant memory. He cursed himself for that involuntary grin. He felt like a lunatic. It was such a morbid expression for such a time, and he instantly regretted not being more careful after seeing Ensign Sato's face. He glanced at Captain Hernandez and then back at Hoshi, and despite his usual reservations, he walked over to grab her hands.

* * *

T'Pol found herself stumbling through the darkened halls of the _Kumari_ , freezing cold and half dressed. She had awoken in Sickbay to the sound of an alarm going off, and upon hearing it she immediately snuck out, determined to get to the Bridge. In hindsight, she wished she had taken a little more time to find something more… substantial. It baffled T'Pol that despite evolving light years away and being of completely different species that Andorian and Human medical gowns could have been conceived of such similar designs. The one she was wearing was little more than tissue, and was open in the back. Before she left the _Kumari's_ Sickbay she managed to flip it around so that the opening faced the front, and she tied the little strings attached to each side as tight as she could. It did manage to cover all the important parts although it left little to the imagination. Once her makeshift garment was secured she headed in the direction of what she supposed might be the Bridge.

It seemed that there was little logic to the Andorian design of the _Kumari_ , but perhaps that was the intent. Andorians were a paranoid race, and it did seem somewhat logical to try to conceal the whereabouts of the Bridge as it was the one place that should not be so easily discovered should the ship ever be boarded. And such an intentional design would explain the reason T'Pol was having so much trouble trying to locate it now.

When she ran around the corner she nearly ran into two MACOs, Corporals Romero and Diaz, as well as an injured Imperial Guardsman. Both Humans looked surprised by her sudden presence as well as the Andorian who, upon seeing her, raised his weapon before immediately lowering it when he recognized the Vulcan. Corporal Diaz spoke first.

"Whoa, you can't be sneaking around like that. It'll get you shot," said Corporal Diaz.

"I'll try not to make a habit of it," said T'Pol. Diaz and Romero exchanged looks as they looked her up and down.

"You alright, Commander? Where are you coming from? Sickbay?" Corporal Diaz asked. Clearly, he had taken notice her clothes or rather the lack thereof. T'Pol aware how odd her appearance must look, but Corporal Diaz seemed genuinely concerned.

"Yes, I am… better," she said, just barely managing to present a calm and unaffected manner. She had not meditated for some time and could not remember the last time she had. She was better although not completely well. "I heard the alarm. What happened? Where are you going?" Before he could answer a phaser shot burnt a hole in the wall above their heads and the four of them instinctively ducked.

T'Pol flattered herself against the wall behind one of the support struts before peering around the side to get a view of whoever it was who had shot at them. She could just make out two green figures in the darkness. _Orions._ Corporal Diaz looked over at her and frowned, waving his free hand at her to stand down. Motioning to Romero, Diaz ran to the other side of the corridor as more shots followed in his wake. More phaser fire burned holes in the deck plating. T'Pol watched as both Romero and Diaz communicated through a series of hand signals as they advanced their positions. She glanced at the Andorian who was heaving against the wall across from her. He was gripping his side, blue blood between his fingers, and she had an idea he was more injured than he was letting on. Romero stuck his head out just as more shots were fired. Cursing, he flattened himself against the wall again.

"Motherfuckers," he hissed. Diaz looked over at him, and gave him another signal. Romero nodded. T'Pol watched as he closed his eyes for a moment before both he and Diaz both moved from their positions against the wall and into the line of fire. For a moment T'Pol was sure that they would be shot, however the two MACOs seemed to have a knack to timing, and instead delivered two kill shots to the two figures in the hallway. T'Pol could hear the dull thud of bodies hitting the floor.

"Ah ha! Got the bastards," said Romero. He looked over at T'Pol and the Andorian gesturing to them both that it was safe to come out.

"Nasty bastards. We ran into one earlier and he did a number on Telev here, but he'll be alright," said Diaz looking at T'Pol. She glanced at the Andorian Telev again. He hardly looked all right. "He's leading us to the Bridge. Come on," said Diaz as he gently pulled her along by the arm. T'Pol was not one protest. She knew that the 'green bastards' in question were Orions, and she was in no mood to run into any more of them. Nodding, she let Diaz pull her along. He tapped one of the bodies with his boot as they passed, and without warning the dead Orion came to life and grabbed T'Pol by the leg letting out a loud groan in the process.

T'Pol nearly screamed, but she managed to remain calm and quiet as she reached down, and instinctively pinched the man along his shoulder near the base of his neck, feeling for the trapezius nerve bundle and pressing hard. Suddenly, the Orion's grip on her ankle slackened as he slumped over, unconscious. Corporal Diaz, who had lifted his gun at the same time to deliver a blow, froze. He stared at T'Pol incredulously for a moment.

"Okay, you have to teach me that someday," he said, before the four of them continued their journey toward the Bridge, the injured Telev directing them as they weaved their way through the ship.

* * *

Commander Thy'lek Shran was incensed. He had been in command of the _Kumari_ for more than a decade, and before that he had been second in command of the Imperial Warship _Ta'Leera_ , and in that time he had had his fair share of run-ins with Orions, however none had been quite as brazen the attempt he had just witnessed.

If the Andorians found Vulcans to be objectionable then they found Orions to be completely intolerable, so much so that the standing rule was to simply eliminate any that they came across without a second thought. Men, women, children. It did not matter. In fact, Andorians believed they were doing a service to the quadrant in ridding it of what they deemed to be a virulent plague. Orions dealt in the slave trade, and Andorians regarded such an occupation as vile, cowardly, and dishonorable as they came, and therefore could not abide by it. As such, Orions were nearly hunted for sport by the ice dwellers as Andorians were not ones to rest on their laurels.

"How many Orion bio signs are left?" Shran shouted at Talas who was standing at one of the stations at the Bridge.

"Only two," she said. "One appears to be very weak." Shran paced around.

"How the fuck did they get on board?" No one answered.

"The transporter codes," said Thelin finally before looking over at Commander Shran. "The Baltanon, Groeg, no doubt," Thelin whispered to himself quietly as his eyes widened in realization. Commander Shran's antennae pointed forward. The very thought that a group of Orions had managed to board the _Kumari_ caused the bile in Shran's stomach to rise, burning, in his throat. It added fuel to the thinly veiled rage that was boiling under his skin. He would have Groeg's bulbous, melted head on a spike, he thought. If Groeg had been bribed into giving the transporter codes to the Orions, he would be dealt with. If Groeg had been threatened into giving up the transporter codes he would still be dealt with and in the same manner. Commander Shran believed that such a betrayal no matter how cowardly or fear driven it had been was equally offensive especially when it came to Orions.

"And why weren't they changed?" Shran was bellowing now.

"They change every six hours as it is, Commander," said an unidentified Andorian standing near the science station near to Shran. "It seemed unnecessary to override the current codes when they would automatically update within the hour."

"Really? And does it seem unnecessary now?!" Commander Shran now appeared as though he might explode.

"No, Commander." An uncomfortable tension hung in the air like a thick fog. As T'Pol glanced around she espied Malcolm over by the opposite wall wondering when it was when he arrived. She pressed her lips together when they made eye contact.

"Alright. Thelin, Talas, both of you, go. Find them. I want them alive. I want to know what they want and whether they threatened or bribed that Baltanon in order to get the codes. Either way it doesn't look good for Groeg. Afterwards, you can blow them out the airlock for all I care," he said. Thelin and Talas nodded. Talas shot Lieutenant Reed a look before the two of them left the Bridge. Malcolm's gaze followed her out.

"Ah, Commander?" said Lieutenant Reed once the Talas and Thelin had disappeared. Shran was rubbing his forehead. When he looked back up he glanced that the small crowd of Humans and the Vulcan who had been ushered to the Bridge before resting his gaze on Lieutenant Reed. His demeanor seemed to change almost immediately, and Lieutenant Reed was a little unnerved by how mercurial Andorians seemed to be at times.

"I apologize that you had to witness that," said Shran. He had become rather calm, rather quickly. "I have no tolerance for Orions. They lack honor, and therefore we will show them none."

"Indeed," said Lieutenant Reed, still uncomfortable though endeavoring not to show it. He was trying his best not to incite Commander Shran for he was not sure what exactly could cause him to fly off the handle, but he still had a duty to make sure that they were still abiding by their current timetable for the return trip to _Columbia_ and _Enterprise_. "Commander, if you don't mind me asking, but what exactly is our current estimated time of arrival to rendezvous with _Enterprise_?" Commander Shran shot him a knowing look.

"Why don't you ask me what you really want to know? Whether my thirst for vengeance outweighs my sense of obligation to you and your Captain?" Malcolm only stared at Commander Shran. Shran stared back at him before suddenly clicking his tongue, his face breaking into a grin. "I'm only joking Lieutenant, no need to look so morose. We are still on course. In fact, we are leaving soon which would put us a few hours ahead of schedule," said Commander Shran smiling. Lieutenant Reed let out a breath, and glanced at T'Pol. She appeared calm, however Malcolm had an idea she was probably far less so than she appeared under that veneer of poise. Shran followed his gaze, and rested his eyes on T'Pol.

"Ah, Commander T'Pol, I hardly noticed you in the corner. My apologies. I hope that are not offended by my handling of the Orions. We do not take to diplomacy as readily as your kind seems to," said Shran. Whether T'Pol was offended or not, she did not elaborate.

"No, indeed," was all she said in reply, however Shran seemed pleased by her response.

"We should send a transmission to Captain Archer," said Lieutenant Reed to Shran. "Inform him of updated arrival time."

"Of course," said Commander Shran. He glanced at T'Pol again, and then at her outfit, his eyes lingering a bit longer than was necessary on the ties as his antennae flattening against his head.

"If the two of you will follow me to my Ready Room," said Shran. "Although, Commander, perhaps you would prefer to change into more appropriate attire first. One would have thought that after your icy dip you would have desired more clothing, not less," he chuckled. T'Pol exchanged eye contact with Lieutenant Reed and looked about as perturbed as she could be without moving her face. If Commander Shran ever found offense with T'Pol it was now water under the bridge, and, in fact, seemed to have nearly evaporated given his about-face. Raising only an eyebrow, T'Pol spoke.

"If my attire does not offend you I would prefer to proceed with making contact with Captain Archer first," she said.

"Not at all. Not at all. As you wish," said Shran smiling, as he waved Lieutenant Reed and Commander T'Pol on ahead of him and into his Ready Room as the rest of the group remained on the Bridge.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I'm sorry it's been a bit longer than usual since my last update. I recently started a new job, and while I will continue to update as often as I can, the chapters may come a bit more sporadically while I adjust to my new schedule. Thank you to everyone who is following this story and to the reviewers who have taken time out to leave such awesome feedback which has definitely helped keep me motivated. I am truly humbled!

***Also, I apologize to the Jon/Erika shippers out there! I loved Erika too as a character on the show, but in this particular story it was her time. Hope you can forgive me.***


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Commander Shran was in Captain Archer's Ready Room aboard the _Enterprise_. The return trip from _Ra'Gor-eth_ had gone quite smoothly, or as smoothly as it could have, considering the minor setback involving the Orions. And after Commander T'Pol and Lieutenant Reed had updated Captain Archer that they would be returning before schedule, Commander Shran had made it a point to immediately leave orbit from _Ra'Gor_ - _eth_ shortly thereafter. Shran would have thought Archer would have been far more enthusiastic at their return especially in their having shortened the trip by two hours, but he was wrong. In fact, Shran found himself a bit uncomfortable with the sight before him. Captain Archer looked like a broken man. Not one merely beaten down by what life had thrown at him, but one who stood on the precipice of whether he wanted to continue living himself. Shran found it most unbecoming of a Captain, but then again, _Enterprise_ was technically a ship of exploration, not an Imperial warship, and Archer was Human so it hardly seemed fair to judge the man based on Andorian ideals.

It was not to say that Shran did not empathize with his situation. He did, however where Archer seemed to wallow in sorrow, Shran would have been enraged. Shran took another swig of the Andorian ale he brought, and then offered it to Archer who declined. It baffled him even further that the man did not want to drink. If there was ever a time to dull the senses he would have figured it would have been now. Shrugging to himself, Shran tipped the bottle back again and took another gulp before wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"We will escort your two ships back to Earth in light of the losses that you have taken," said Shran. Archer glanced at him. His eyes were slightly unfocused.

"Thank you, Commander, your assistance is appreciated," said Captain Archer. He sounded distant and robotic.

"If necessary, I can send some of my people to the _Columbia_ to fill in if needed. I understand that the _Columbia_ no longer has a Captain or First Officer," Shran continued. Captain Archer suddenly seemed to focus and glanced at Shran in the eye.

"I have spoken to Commander T'Pol at length. She will be transferred to the _Columbia_ for the remainder of the trip to Earth once Doctor Phlox has synthesized enough of the serum. She will act as Captain–" Archer choked on the last words and buried his face in his hands for a moment. Shran shifted uncomfortably before taking another swig of ale. He rested his hand on the man's shoulder.

"Come, my friend, this will not do. You must remain strong. Here, take some. I have never known Andorian ale to fail in such a situation," he said forcing the bottle into Archer's hands. Captain Archer looked up, and took a reluctant sip before passing it back to Shran. Just then the door to the Ready Room chimed.

"Come in," said Captain Archer clearing his throat. He and Shran watched as the door slide open and Commander T'Pol entered.

"Captain," she said nodding to Archer. "Commander Shran," she said in acknowledgement as her eyes glided over the Andorian before resting on Captain Archer. Shran sat back in his seat.

"T'Pol," said the Captain. She noted his eyes looked wet though he looked a little better than he did when she had first spoken to him. "How is Doctor Phlox's treatment coming along?" Archer asked straightening a little.

"Now that he has the supplies, I have been informed that he has already started the process of synthesizing the serum. I have been told it should only be a matter of hours before there is enough to treat the crew of the _Columbia_ as well as inoculate the crew of _Enterprise_ as a precaution," she said. Archer only nodded.

"Good," he said. T'Pol folded her arms behind her back.

"Captain, there is something else. We have been hailed by the D'Kyr ship _S'Mara._ They wish to dock with _Enterprise_. They have been made aware of the situation, and wish to offer their condolences as well as whatever assistance we require," T'Pol said. "Ambassador Soval is also aboard." Shran harrumphed as he took another swig of ale.

"Now they offer their assistance? You, Vulcans, do seem to a have a knack for arriving fashionably late," said Shran. T'Pol glanced at him, but ignored his statement.

"Captain, if you would like I can meet Ambassador Soval in your stead as your First Officer. No doubt, they only wish to offer their consolations. And as I understand it you will be rather busy with deciding on the temporary command assignments for _Enterprise_ and _Columbia_ ," she said in reference to their prior conversation. T'Pol was aware of how emotionally unstable Captain Archer was at the moment and such a display might, in fact, be uncomfortable for a Vulcan to witness so her rather subtle solution on how the Captain could avoid meeting with Ambassador Soval seemed rather elegant. Archer looked up, and an unspoken gratitude seemed to pass between them.

"Yes, thank you, Commander," said Captain Archer. Commander Shran stood.

"Well, I should be returning to the _Kumari_ ," said Shran. "Captain, as I said, we will provide your two ships escort back to your planet. If should need anything you know where I will be," said Shran. He grabbed the bottle of Andorian ale and turned to follow T'Pol before turning back and setting the bottle down in front of Captain Archer. "For the pain," he said, before the two of them disappeared.

* * *

T'Pol and Shran walked toward the launch bay. She was in no doubt of the reason for Shran's rather hasty exit. T'Pol was sure that he wished to purposefully run into Ambassador Soval before he left to return to his ship. The two shared a rather strained relationship, and Shran could not resist any opportunity to attempt to provoke a rise out of the Vulcan Ambassador.

Upon reaching their destination they stood in front on the doors to the docking bay doors. _Enterprise_ had provided the docking sequence to the _S'Mara_ , and the ship had completed the docking procedure and was now waiting for the hatch between the two ships to pressurize. Once the hatch lock-out was disengaged it chimed indicating that the airlock had achieved the same atmosphere as the rest of the ship. T'Pol entered the code to open the doors on a nearby panel. The docking bay doors slid open, and Commander T'Pol greeted Ambassador Soval, who was followed by several Vulcans, undoubtedly his aides, with the _ta'al._ He returned the gesture.

"Commander T'Pol, it is agreeable to see you," said Ambassador Soval setting his chin. "We come to serve." He stood erect dressed in formal Ambassadorial robes.

"You service honors us, Ambassador," said T'Pol in customary reply. Shran snorted loudly. Ambassador Soval glanced at the Andorian with almost disinterest, without as much as a raise of an eyebrow.

"You come to serve? What exactly? Dessert? You're a bit late Ambassador. But then again maybe not. You, Vulcans, do only seem to materialize when it is to your benefit," said Commander Shran.

"I understand the same could be said about you," replied Ambassador Soval unfazed.

"How so?"

"I believe the last time you came to the aid of the Humans was in the Expanse under the guise of helping them when in fact you were attempting to purloin the Xindi prototype," said Ambassador. Commander Shran's antennae flattened on his head. Soval knew it was a little un-Vulcan to incite the Andorian, however he continued. "And now you are here to discharge the debt you feel you owe. I believe that would mean that you are here at _your_ benefit." Shran flushed an unsightly shade of dark blue, clearly defeated, before turning to Commander T'Pol.

"Commander," he said, taking his cue to leave, and pushing past the Vulcans, and heading toward the launch bay which was conveniently situated very near to docking bay doors. T'Pol's eyes followed him as he rounded the corner, before turning back to Ambassador Soval.

"Ambassador, I regret to inform you–" Ambassador Soval raised a hand to interrupt T'Pol. She was about to tell him that Captain Archer was indisposed; however the Ambassador seemed to have an agenda of his own.

"Commander Shran, _is_ partially correct. We are here for another reason other than to offer our assistance," he said. T'Pol's eyebrows knit, barely hinting at the frown she was trying to conceal.

"I'm not sure what you mean," she started as Ambassador Soval stepped aside, and T'Pol was granted a view of who stood behind him. Her heart dropped. It was the last person she expected to see.

"Hello, wife." It was Koss.

* * *

Lieutenant Reed was glad to be back on _Enterprise_. To be the confines of the Armory. It was…cozy, if he was going to be totally honest. And it also meant that he would soon be back to his schedule, his routine, back to order, and it found the prospect more than appealing after everything that had transpired. Of course, he was still extremely concerned about the virus, and most especially about Commander Tucker, and Hoshi and Travis; however he little time to think about them right now. And he found it a little easier if he did not. Feelings were not exactly his strong suit. Besides, there was still so much to do. He had about half a dozen reports to type up, not to mention the self-imposed audit of the tactical systems he planned on running as he was not sure what the hell Ensign Wilson had got up to while he was gone.

Lieutenant Talas had offered her help in checking the systems, and Lieutenant Reed had reluctantly agreed, but made it abundantly clear that he had every intention of checking behind her work.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't," she had said, unfazed, as the two of them spent the better half of an hour checking the each system. Finally, stopping for a break, the two of them went for a cup of tea in the Mess Hall before returning to the Armory. Lieutenant Reed led them to his office in the back which was empty. He sat in the chair by his desk. Talas, in the chair opposite from him. They sat in comfortable silence drinking their tea when finally Talas spoke.

"So, where do we go from here?"

"Well, we just finished checking the array, so that only leaves–" Talas rolled her eyes before interrupting.

"No, I mean where do _we_ go from here?" She was referring to their relationship, or whatever this was. Lieutenant Reed frowned. He had not really given it much thought. He was not exactly sure what he wanted. They had only been intimate the one time, and it had been the result of the explosive sexual tension between them prior to their coupling. He did have to admit that he vehemently despised the idea of her being with another man, or anyone other than himself for that matter, and the more he thought about it the more he realized no other woman had ever captured his fancy quite like Talas.

"I'm not quite sure," he said honestly though quite uncertainly.

"I'm not either," she replied. They just stared at one another for a moment before they both started speaking at the same time.

"I mean, our lives are so different–"

"We come from such different places–" They both stopped, looking sheepishly at each other. They remained quiet for a moment.

"I like you," said Talas.

"And I you," said Reed. "There's no one else… if that makes a difference," he added. Talas smiled.

"I know," she said. "There isn't for me either." Lieutenant Reed found himself unexpectedly relieved by her admission, and it took him by surprise.

"We don't have to make a decision now," she said, standing. Lieutenant Reed watched as she walked over to the door of his office and locked it. When Talas returned she stopped standing in front of him.

"No, we don't," he said grabbing her by the waist, and pulling her into his lap.

"Let's just enjoy the time we have now. Whatever this is," she said. Malcolm could not agree more as his lips found hers, and his fingers found the zipper on the back of her uniform, and pulled it down.

* * *

Corporal Carr sat in the Mess Hall with a cup of chicken noodle soup in front of her, and was idly swirling it around letting the noodles slip off the spoon and float back down into the bottom of the broth. She had just learned that Corporal Ethan Holzberger had died. He had been serving on the _Columbia_ in a similar capacity. They had grown up together, and he had been practically a brother to her. She thought about Ethan's family, and how devastated his father would be. Her heart clenched at the thought. She had known of the dangers of space. And there was a time when the idea of dying in the line of duty had seemed like such a romantic notion, but now it just seemed unfair.

She swirled her soup again before unceremoniously dropping the spoon down into the broth. It clanked loudly against the bowl, and she watched as a few heads turned. She looked around apologetically before spotting Corporal Diaz approaching her. He moved to sit across from her, and glanced at her uneaten soup before taking his seat.

"Missing that Andorian Redbat, huh?"

"Only all the time," she replied sarcastically. She looked away. If she allowed herself to think about Ethan she might cry, and she was not about to make a scene in the Mess Hall, especially not in front of Apollo.

"I heard about Ethan. I'm sorry. I know you guys were close," Apollo said. It was almost as though he could read her mind. Before she could reply he grabbed her hand, and squeezed it. They locked eyes for a moment, and she pressed her lips together willing away the tears that threatened. Aries pulled her hand away.

"Thanks," she said, straightening. "It's a part of the job though, right?" She swallowed.

"Yeah, but it's not one we have to like," he said, quietly. Aries watched as Apollo began to eat. She was not sure how the man still had an appetite after everything they had gone through.

"Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but I should probably go," she said, standing. She was starting to get a headache and the events of the last few days were beginning to wear on her. Corporal Diaz glanced up at her, and nodded.

"No problem," he said. "You know if you ever want to talk you know where to find me." She gave him a small smile before heading out of the Mess Hall. Glancing around she began heading down the corridor in the direction of her quarters as she began to think about the past few days. It was only when she passed the launch bay she realized she had gone too far. Turning, she gasped, as she slammed into a torso. When she looked up to see who it belonged to she saw that it was the Imperial Guardsman, Thelin, who appeared almost as startled as her. They both lost their balance and they grabbed onto each other as they tried to regain control.

"Uh, Corporal Carr," said Thelin, vaguely aware his hands were gripping her waist.

"Thelin," she said in surprise, her hands gripping his forearms. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you. I was lost in my thoughts." Their faces were inches apart. Aries found herself staring at his mouth as all those thoughts in her head disappeared. When she realized she was staring, she colored. Looking away, and she quickly let go of his arms as she brushed herself off. Once she regained composure she straightened, and looked up at the Andorian again. His antennae were pointed forward as he looked down at her.

"I'm actually glad I ran into you. I never thanked you," he said. "For shooting that Orion." He looked a little uncomfortable although Aries was not exactly sure why.

"Well, I never thanked you for returning my knife, or carrying me back after the negotiations on _Ra'Gor-eth,"_ she said. "So, consider us even." Thelin smiled as he shook his head.

"I hardly consider that even, but if you insist," he said. He glanced in the direction of the launch bay. Aries followed his gaze. "Well, it has been an honor to have known you."

"Wait, you are leaving? I thought you guys were escorting us back to Earth," she said frowning slightly.

"We are, but we will be leaving immediately afterwards. There is some business with Groeg that we need to attend to," he said. _Poor Groeg_ , Aries thought. She would not miss that pervert, but if she knew anything about Thelin then she knew Groeg was about to start a life on the run, and she did not wish that on anyone.

"So, this is good-bye then?" She had not expected it to be so soon.

"Yes, for now," he said. Aries swallowed. An unexpected prickle of disappointment threaded its way through her. She had an idea what it meant, and was surprised by the feeling. Just then Commander Shran appeared.

"Come, Thelin, it is time for us to return to the _Kumari_ ," said Shran, glancing between Aries and Thelin.

"Where is Lieutenant Talas?"

"She will be joining us shortly. You and I can started the pre-flight checklist," Shran called back as he had continued on his way toward the shuttle. Thelin turned back to Aries almost apologetically.

"Well, if you are ever find yourself on Andoria–" he started. Aries found herself half smiling.

"I think there is little chance of that," she said.

"You never know. Besides, the Imperial Guard could always use someone like you," he said. Aries raised her eyebrows.

"I'll think about it," she said. Suddenly, she felt a twinge of sadness at the thought that she might never see Thelin again. Without thinking she reached out her hand to him. He grabbed it, and they stared at each other for a moment.

"Good-bye, Thelin. Like you said, it was an honor," she said managing a small smile.

"Good-bye, Aries," he said holding her gaze. She was aware he was holding her hand little longer than was necessary before he finally let go and turned to head out into the launch bay. Aries swallowed, as she watched his receding figure. Turning, she began walking away, but she had not gotten far when she heard someone calling her name. It was Thelin. He was running back toward her. When he reached her he grabbed her hand again, and thrust something in it.

"Until we meet again," he said, and before she could protest he turned away one last time and disappeared. Looking down, Aries opened her hand, and found a glass tag attached to a chain.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** As some of you are already aware I've changed my pen name. I apologize if it caused any confusion, but it was done in an effort to make it a little shorter and more concise. I tried to keep it as similar as I could, but alas it's slim pickings out there. Anyway, it's cosmetic only; I promise I'm still the same! And not to worry, I won't be changing it again.

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

Once the Vulcan delegation expressed their condolences and offered their assistance – which was appreciated, however unnecessary as the Andorians beat them to the punch – they returned to their ship. The whole affair lasted a mere twenty minutes. Although Vulcans were a people quick to stand on ceremony they did not typically engage in superfluous exchanges where there was no need or reason for them. Their almost mechanical manner of conducting diplomatic affairs may have seemed cold and apathetic to some, however it was with deliberation that they conducted themselves without reference to emotion, their own or others. So after they left, it was only Koss who remained behind, to speak to T'Pol, as he was partially the reason that the Vulcans had sought out _Enterprise_ in the first place.

T'Pol led the man to her quarters. Well, not just any man. Her husband. As illogical as the thought was, it still seemed strange to her that they were so intimately connected. Of course there had been a time when formally bonding with Koss seemed more palatable. It was true that they had known each other for nearly their entire lives, betrothed at the age of seven as all Vulcans were, with the inevitably of their marriage always lying in wait for the future. However, now it seemed to T'Pol that her life prior to serving on a Human starship was far less vibrant than it had been before. It was as though she had been living a rather monochromatic existence and it had unexpectedly morphed into color. Of course she was now rendered unable to return to shades of gray after seeing the sudden scale of her new life in full bloom. The fate of her perfectly planned out, unemotional existence completely changed the very moment she had stepped foot on _Enterprise_ , and a part of her wondered if it was, in fact, fate or if she was just weak. She had always struggled with her emotions more than most, but either way she would have to tell Koss.

They continued to walk in silence until they reached her quarters. It was only once they were inside and the door had slid safely shut that Koss moved toward her. He extended his index and middle fingers out to her in the _ozh'esta_ , and T'Pol unthinkingly copied the gesture, but instead of feeling the subtle connection they had always shared since they were children, the threads of the preliminary bond placed by a Vulcan priest all those years ago which was strengthened during their marriage ceremony, she felt… nothing. T'Pol involuntarily frowned inwardly, and upon glancing up at Koss she noticed he almost appeared vindicated, or as much as a Vulcan could allow themselves to be, at least.

"It is as I thought," he said, looking at T'Pol, their fingers still touching. T'Pol narrowed her eyes a fraction.

"What is?"

"We no longer share a bond," he said. T'Pol swallowed, and let her hand drop gently to her side. The moment he said the words she realized that he was right. She had not felt his presence in her mind for quite some time, but she had written it off as simply a consequence of her extended mission in space, the constant stress of having to suppress her emotions while living amongst the Humans, all while trying to steel herself against their continuous barrage of projected feelings. It was unnerving that she had not noticed it before, but it was not the most surprising revelation. What shocked her more was that she was not disappointed.

"But, how?" She queried, moving to fold her hands behind her back. Koss assumed the same posture, neatly folding his arms behind his back before slowly pacing the room.

"I am not sure, but I knew for certain, a few days ago, that the bond had been severed," he said. T'Pol raised her eyebrows. Koss continued. "You mother came to me. She said she felt that you were in danger, and desired to know of your situation," he said. T'Pol immediately recalled the day when they had landed on _Ra'Gor-eth_ , when she had fallen through the ice. She realized that her mother, T'Les, would have sensed that she was in danger, as they shared a familial bond, and would have naturally sought out Koss for information on her condition as he was her mate. It was only logical. Koss would have deduced then that their bond had been severed or dissolved being unable to feel her through their connection as they no longer shared a telepathic link. Although T'Pol felt some relief in no longer being bonded to Koss she was well aware of the loss, and what it would mean for him. Koss would have to find another mate, and one before his _time_.

"I am not sure what to say," said T'Pol.

"You don't have to say anything, T'Pol, I know you. I've known you all my life. We were ill-suited from the beginning no matter how hard we've tried to reconcile it," he said. T'Pol knew it was illogical to mourn a truth, but she did. Koss was a good man, and a small part of her bore the guilt of their failure as bondmates.

"Why have you come then?" Her inquiry was in earnest, and without bitterness.

"I have come to tell you that I am releasing you from our marriage. And to say good-bye," he said. His face was placid, but his voice rose almost imperceptibly at _good-bye_ , and he almost sounded sad. Such a fleeting emotional inflection would have gone unnoticed by any other Vulcan, but T'Pol picked up on it as she had become accustomed to hearing emotion projected through intonation in the time she had spent living among Humans. Her heart dropped a little knowing she was the cause for the disturbance in his control.

"Koss, you don't have to do this," she said, taking a step toward him. Koss raised a hand, but did not meet her eyes.

"I do. I will always hold you in esteem, but I know now that a normal life would never have suited or satisfied you, and I also know that while you may have respected me you have never desired me. I am not so unfeeling, you know, not to need to be wanted and desired by my mate. You would have not been happy with me, and it would have therefore followed that I would have not been happy with you," he said. He said it so sincerely and without acrimony that T'Pol almost felt badly for his disappointment. Swallowing, she met his eyes, and they just stared at one another for a moment. He was letting her go, and for the first time in her life she felt a torrent of conflicting emotions. Gratitude, joy even, and profound loss all at the same time. She found she could barely control them. Finally, Koss broke her gaze, and turned toward the door.

"Good-bye T'Pol. I wish you a long and prosperous life," he said quietly. T'Pol realized that this moment might be the last time she ever saw Koss. She recalled the day they had met when they were seven years old, his blue eyes soft as they met hers when they had touched fingers during their initial bonding. She had felt a feeling akin to what Humans referred to as butterflies when they had formed the _ozh'esta_ for the first time, and a thrill at the flood of emotions that had flowed between them natural of children who still had not learned to fully suppress them. There had been a natural excitement, an eager hopefulness in fulfilling their duties and pleasing their families.

T'Pol moved forward quickly then, the memory still fresh in her mind, and grasped Koss' hand for the briefest of moments, squeezing it gently. She was not exactly sure why she had done it. It was such a Human gesture, but through the fleeting contact she could feel a sense of understanding pass between them.

"I wish you the same, Koss. May you find what you are searching for," she said. Koss squeezed her hand in return gently, and looked at her one last time as he left, the door sliding closed behind him. T'Pol just stood there for a moment unsure of what to do or what to think. Slowly, her thoughts collected once more, and rested, quite naturally, on the one that had never left her. Commander Tucker.

* * *

Lieutenant Reed had just returned to his office from seeing Lieutenant Talas off where he watched her board the Andorian shuttle to return to the _Kumari_. He was filled with a hollow, empty feeling in her absence, and was surprised that he could feel so strongly given that they had barely spent more than a few days in each other's company, half of which _he_ had spent in tense denial over their mutual attraction only for it to come to a head inevitably ending in a passionate bout of lovemaking. Even after their return to _Enterprise_ did he manage to get Talas naked once more only to shag her quite shamelessly right there in his office and in his chair, no less. The very one he was currently sitting on. And Talas had not been an innocent party either, and was instead quite the willing participant.

He spun slowly around. He had to admit it had been always been a fantasy of his, second only to possibly doing it in the Armory itself, perhaps atop a torpedo launcher, but even he realized how impractical that would have been. Thoughts of inadvertently setting off a torpedo sent both shivers of horror and arousal through him simultaneously. _No, no that would not have done at all. Better it had been the office,_ he thought. His thoughts lingered on their last encounter for a moment before he shook himself and set about pulling up the unfinished reports on his computer.

As he began to type he thumbed the thin chain that he had untucked from his collar that hung about his neck. Before her departure Talas had given him her identification tag as a memento, and with the solemn promise that they would meet again soon. Malcolm realized the odds of them actually maintaining such an unconventional relationship were stacked against them, but he was hopeful. He still had a few years left of his required tour of service aboard the _Enterprise_ and Talas had indicated something similar was expected of her in regards to the _Kumari_ and the Imperial Guard, but they still would have shore leave and what was a few years knowing what could possibly await for him in the future? He had certainly never had such a prospect before and had never held out much hope for such until now.

Perhaps Talas could join Starfleet or he could join the Imperial Guard. He almost laughed at the absurdity of the thought of his life possibly going from his time in Section 31 to his tour with Starfleet to possible future service in the Imperial Guard. Perhaps his father would finally approve. The old man would probably be more keen on him serving on a warship than his current one of exploration, even if it was Andorian, he thought grimly. He let that disappointing thought dissipate, before he continued typing. His mind wandered to Commander Tucker. He wondered what Trip would have thought about his situation. First off, he would have probably been thrilled that Malcolm had finally 'dipped his nib', as only a good mate could be, and congratulated him on a job well done, all while being a little surprised that he had let Talas go so easily. But, then again, perhaps not. Commander Tucker knew him well enough to know of Malcolm's rather reserved nature. He could almost hear Trip now…

"If thatta been me, Lieutenant, I'da never let that blue beauty outta my sight," before, undoubtedly, clapping him on the shoulder. Malcolm smiled at the thought. Commander Tucker. He stopped typing for a moment, and thought of the man. He hoped beyond hope that he was hanging in there. Malcolm tried not to let his mind linger on thoughts of what his crewmates were going through often as it was too hard, but when he did, he felt it. He knew that Doctor Phlox was nearly finished with the serum, but he remembered Captain Hernandez had received it and still perished. He banished the gloomy thought from his mind. _No, Commander Tucker is strong_ , he thought. An image of Trip laughing, a lop-sided grin forming on his face, rose unbidden to the forefront of his mind. He would make it, surely. He had to.

* * *

Doctor Phlox finally finished packing the last dose of the serum he had synthesized for the _Columbia_ into the stasis unit Commander T'Pol was to take with her. She was scheduled to leave to board _Columbia_ momentarily taking on the role of their temporary Captain during their return trip to Earth. She would then deliver the serum vials to Hillard who would be given the responsibility of getting them distributed the remaining crew as soon as possible if they wanted to save as many lives as they could. Just as Doctor Phlox was finishing up setting the temperature controls on the unit he heard a knock on the observation window. He looked over to see T'Pol standing behind the glass.

"Ah, Commander, right on time, although I should have expected as much," he said carrying the black stasis unit over the window. T'Pol seemed to have heard him through the Comm system as she raised an eyebrow. Phlox carefully placed the unit into the pass-through drawer situated just below the observation window which allowed for items to be passed to and from Sickbay without disturbing the quarantine. The pass-through was specially equipped with a decontamination sequence which included an ultrasonic cleaning, unsuitable for the full Decon chamber as it was designed for decontaminating living organisms, but was a more thorough method of decontamination for inorganic objects, allowing for the outside of the stasis unit to be completely disinfected before being handled.

"Is that all, Doctor?" T'Pol asked as she pulled the stasis unit out of the drawer once the decontamination sequence was completed.

"Yes, Commander, thank you. I have already informed Hillard of the procedure on how to administer the serum. Now, if you don't mind, it would be best if you hurry, hmm?" T'Pol shot Phlox a look that looked suspiciously like exasperation before she turned to leave quickly, no doubt on her way to the Transporter to be beamed aboard the _Columbia_. Once she disappeared around the corner Doctor Phlox turned back toward the front of Sickbay feeling rather optimistic for the first time in a long while. He walked over to Ensign Sato's bed where he double checked her IV line to ensure she was receiving the proper dose of the serum drip. She had been quiet ever since finding out that Captain Hernandez had expired. She looked up at him, her face still rather pale, while he adjusted the drip flow.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, Ensign Sato?" When he finished his adjustments Phlox looked at Hoshi.

"Is – Is Travis going to be okay?" Doctor Phlox glanced over at Ensign Mayweather's bed. He was still unconscious, but like Ensign Sato, Phlox had already administered the serum drip, and his vitals appeared to be stable. Doctor Phlox looked back at Ensign Sato. Her eyes were wide as she awaited his response. It was quite obvious that the poor girl needed some good news.

"As far as I can tell, as of right now, he should recover," he said. Hoshi closed her eyes and let out a breath. Doctor Phlox watched as a tear escaped the corner of her eye before she hastily wiped it away.

"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much," she managed, with a small smile.

"What is it that I always say? Optimism, Ensign Sato, optimism," replied Phlox. And to his surprise Hoshi began laughing before suddenly bursting out into tears – tears, he realized, that were of happiness. Phlox felt himself smiling despite himself, one of those unnaturally wide grins signature to Denobulans. Even as Hoshi slowly came down from her laughing spell he found himself even relaxing a little. He even reached down to squeeze her shoulder for the briefest of moments. It was true, they still had a ways to go before this nightmare was over, but a little optimism never hurt.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Red. Well, not quite red as far as he could tell. More a brighter burnt orange hue. The same color you saw when you closed your eyes and tilted your head up to the sun. And it was moving. Trip noticed that although it seemed too close for him to focus on it was indeed moving as what appeared to be a sort of textured pattern was slowly sliding back and forth casting slight shade variations in that burnt orange color. _What the hell was he looking at?_ He tried to speak, but the words got stuck in his throat. He must have made a noise, a grunt of some sort, as that burnt orange backdrop suddenly fell back into the background and other colors appeared. It took a moment for his eyes to focus before Trip realized that he was staring at T'Pol.

She looked to have just finished adjusting something he could not see above his head, and had moved to sit back down when she heard him stir. She was wearing her burnt orange Starfleet cat suit, and that textured pattern belonged to the area that lay neatly covering her breasts. Had he known that her ample bosom had been nearly touching his face he might have taken a little more time to appreciate his current situation which seemed to involve lying quite helplessly in a hospital bed. Trip stared at her for moment watching her soft brown eyes staring back at him. T'Pol looked as though she was about to speak, but Trip managed to string some words together first.

"Tell me I'm not dead," he croaked.

"You are quite the opposite, Commander," she replied.

"I must be dreaming then 'cause there is no reason in hell that you should be here right now," he said.

"I assure you that you are not dreaming. Doctor Phlox was able to synthesize a treatment for the virus. I delivered it to the _Columbia_ for distribution. It is, in fact, the primary reason for my being here," she said. Trip moved to sit up a little and looked around.

"Where are we now?"

"We are still aboard the _Columbia_ orbiting Earth. You are currently in Sickbay," she said.

"Then why are we still on the ship then?"

"The treatment needed to be distributed first, and those infected cleared of the virus before being allowed to leave," she said. "We can't risk people getting off the ship and infecting others. It should only be a few more days though." Trip was quiet for a moment as he digested the information. His mind wandered to thoughts of Captain Hernandez.

"Erika?" T'Pol pressed her lips together and shook her head. Trip looked stricken for a moment as he immediately thought of Jon. "And the Captain?"

"He is… getting through it. I believe that is the appropriate phrase for this situation," she said. Trip sighed. He knew Archer. He might be getting through it, but he was unlikely to ever get over it. Trip thought of his sister Lizzie for a moment and the unfairness of life before his thoughts moved on to Hoshi and Travis. He hoped that they had fared better.

"What about Ensigns Sato and Mayweather?"

"They are recovering aboard _Enterprise._ In fact, I believe they are to be discharged in a day or two," she said.

"That's good," he said. They were quiet for a moment. "So, why are you here?"

"I thought I adequately described my reason for being here already," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I mean, why are you _here_? I know it can't just be to nurse me back to health," he quipped.

"No, that would be beyond the scope of my duties as your commanding officer," said T'Pol. Trip nearly choked.

"Commanding officer?"

"Yes, I am temporary Captain of the _Columbia_ ," she said. Trip raised his eyebrows.

"Wow, I sure did miss a lot didn't I? Shouldn't you be somewhere else though? I'm sure they've granted you leave after all this. You know, spending time with Koss or something?" He truly did not mean for there to be, but he could not help the small amount of ire that seeped into his voice. It was true that he had already forgiven T'Pol for everything that had happened. It was not really her fault. T'Pol had been only following the traditions of her people, and although he had gotten over the situation, he had not forgotten. The memories of their relationship still haunted him. He had wanted so much more. He needed so much more. In truth, he was secretly glad she was there now if that meant being close to her again, however brief the encounter. He sighed. _When had he become such a masochist?_ T'Pol blinked slowly.

"That would be highly inappropriate given we are no longer bonded," she said. Trip frowned before swallowing his surprise. He had not expected that disclosure. Not in a hundred years. She could have knocked him down with a feather.

"No longer bonded. As in no longer married?"

"Yes," she said simply, matter-of-factly. Trip met her eyes. Although a part of him was in disbelief it did nothing to stop the sudden flame of hope that lit inside of him.

"What happened?"

"We were ill-suited. He released me from the marriage. It would not have worked out anyway as I have already bonded to another," she said still holding his gaze. Bonded to another. Deep down, Trip knew what it meant. And a part of him had always known. He closed his eyes and searched his mind. Yes, he could feel her there and the strange, alien connection they shared. She had never left, and it was why he could never get over her. He opened his eyes and absorbed the sight of her as though he had not seen her in years. By the look in her eyes he knew that she knew that he had come to the conclusion that she had subtly hinted at. Without hesitation Trip grabbed T'Pol by the waist and pulled her to him.

"Trip, this is hardly appropriate."

"I know, but I don't care," he said.

"Clearly. But I feel obliged to mention that such a public display is inappropriate on many levels not including the fact that I am your commanding officer," she said.

"You forget I am not serving aboard the _Columbia_ in any official capacity so we are still on equal footing as far as I'm concerned, Captain," he said.

"And you are sick," she protested gently.

"Baby, I never felt more alive," he said, as he pulled her down on top of him. Trip knew people could probably see and what he was about to do definitely bordered on improper by polite society, but he no longer cared what anyone thought. He had nearly died, and he finally had a real shot with T'Pol, the possibly of a real future, and he was not about to pass up on any opportunity for intimacy for anything, no matter how brief or how inappropriate it might be. Life was too short.

Pulling her close he kissed deeply letting his tongue slide passed her lips as his hand pressed her body firmly against him. God, he had missed her. He felt her initially tense at the contact, but eventually even she relaxed into the kiss, and Trip felt T'Pol's body melt against him. He was never letting her go. After a few minutes T'Pol pulled away looking momentarily flustered before promptly returning to her Vulcan state of perfect composure, looking a little like a bird that had ruffled its feathers before smoothing them down once more. T'Pol glanced around. To her relief no one had seen.

"That was… agreeable," she managed when she had regained control of her lips again. Trip shot her a lop-sided smirk.

"Agreeable? That is practically an adulation coming from you. Although, I think we might need to work on your adjectives for the future," he said. T'Pol raised an eyebrow, but deigned to reply. Perhaps he was not as sick as she thought if he had the strength to tease her. "Aww, don't be like that," he said when he saw the look on her face. He moved to pull her close again. She did not protest this time.

"You need rest, Commander," she said, after a time. She was right. No matter how pleasant it was to have T'Pol in his arms it did not change the fact that even their brief encounter had winded him, and Trip suddenly felt exhausted.

"Alright, alright, you win," he said lying back in the bed. "I'll only rest if you promise me there will be more of that in the near future." T'Pol shot him a look that was very nearly a smile or as close to one as he had ever seen her express.

"I should not have to comply with your demands, Commander, but if it assists you in finding rest then I promise." And with that Trip closed his eyes and imagined having T'Pol in his arms again. This time with far less clothing in between them to get in the way.

* * *

Hoshi was packing up her things in her quarters. She and Travis had been finally discharged with a clean bill of health, and the now that the quarantine of Sickbay had been lifted she was free to leave for Earth's surface as they were granted a measure of much needed leave while _Enterprise's_ Sickbay underwent a thorough decontamination protocol. Although they had been deemed back to full health she was moving rather slowly. Those few days where she lay dying had really done a number on her strength and when she had weighted herself she saw that she had lost nearly nine pounds which did not go unnoticed on her already slim frame. She glanced in the mirror for a moment, and touched her cheeks. _Ugh, I look like a skeleton_ , she thought.

Just then, Hoshi heard a knock. Although her door was open she looked up to see Travis with a hand raised to as though to tap it again against the door frame.

"Hey, Hosh," he said, dropping his hand. They had both been discharged, but she had not seen him since. He was dressed in civilian attire – a polo which hung loosely on him and a pair of khakis that looked just as ill-fitting. Hoshi dropped what she was doing and walked over to Travis. They pulled each other into a hug. Hoshi wrapped her arms around his waist, and noticed Travis had lost a fair bit of weight himself. They were a little like two bags of bones bumping against one another.

"Listen, Hosh," said Travis as he pushed her away gently so as to look her in the eye. "Everything I said in there, in Sickbay, I meant every word." Hoshi smiled.

"I know," she said. Travis, looking a little bolstered by both her reply and expression, continued. "Hey, I don't know what you have planned when you return to San Francisco, but would it be alright if I took you out? On a date, I mean. Perhaps we could go to Madame Chang's. You know we have to work on getting our weight up." Hoshi smiled again.

"I would love that," she said. Travis grinned and looked as though he could float away on a cloud, and Hoshi thought that he just might given how much weight he had lost.

"Alright, well, I guess I'll see you later then," he said, as he began to turn away to leave.

"Travis," said Hoshi, stopping him. Before he realized what she was doing Hoshi walked up to him, and pulled him into a kiss. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach him, but as soon as he realized what she was doing he wrapped his arms around her waist in support. After a moment they broke apart. Travis let out a breath.

"Well, I must say, Ensign Sato, you are definitely not as shy as you lead people to believe," he said. Hoshi made a noise, but smiled despite herself. She _had_ become rather brazen, by her own standards, at least.

"Perhaps I'm not so much anymore," she corrected, looking up at Travis. After everything she had gone through she really did not think that there was much to be afraid of any longer. Life was for the living and she was going to do just that.

* * *

The wind whipped around as salty sea air filled his nostrils. Gray clouds above hung low in the sky, and the wind had whipped the ocean waves below into a froth. They crashed as milky foam against the smooth black rocks that littered the beach. Even rendered in shades of gray the scene was rather beautiful, and for a moment Jonathan Archer found himself staring out into the ocean.

He was at Mile Rock Beach in Land's End Park on the outskirts of San Francisco. Usually teeming with people as it was a rather popular destination, it was now quite deserted which Archer was thankful for as the overcast sky above threatened rain. Looking out in the distance he could just barely make out the Golden Gate Bridge in the gloom.

Slowly, he began walking the length of the beach. There was a reason he was there. That particular beach had been Erika's favorite, and Jon had taken her there dozens of times when they were younger. He could still recall one particular evening, after they had made love on a blanket, Erika telling him it was where she wanted to be buried. He remembered laughing that day asking her why she was telling him, trying to convince her that given their age difference it was more than likely she would outlive him. But she had insisted that he hear her out.

"Listen, I want to be cremated and have my ashes cast out into the ocean," she had said. He remembered brushing a particularly stubborn lock of dark hair that had escaped from its pinning during their lovemaking out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear.

"You don't want to be buried at Unity Cemetery with the rest of the Starfleet Greats? No doubt you'll have made Admiral by then, and they would probably even erect some grand statue in your honor," he had said.

"Jon, I'm being serious," she pleaded, her brown eyes wide. She had even pushed him a little, and he remembered pulling her into his arms despite her protests, and kissing her then.

"Alright, alright, one ocean burial for the lady," he had joked. It had seemed funny then, if a little morbid, but Archer had no idea how prophetic that conversation would prove to be. Looking down at the small urn in his hands, which contained all that was left of the one woman he had ever truly loved, he slowly unscrewed the top. He breathed in deeply as he felt tears threatening his vision. Slowly, he began scattering the contents into the wind watching as the breeze blew the ashes into the ocean.

"Good-bye, Erika," he breathed, watching the cloud of tiny flecks slowly dissipate before fully disappearing. Now, Archer was not a religious man by any stretch of the imagination, but, just then, a small opening in the clouds appeared allowing for a thin ray of sunlight to shine through, and a part of him knew it was by no accident. Swallowing, he stared out at the horizon watching the ray of light dance among the waves before it slowly disappeared as the sun moved behind the clouds once more. Perhaps it was Erika telling him it was going to be okay. Perhaps not. Whatever it was it warmed him a little from the inside. He sighed as his thoughts continued to linger on memories of Erika. Eventually, Archer turned away and even though a small part of him still felt as though he had failed her, he forgave himself.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Alright, folks, we are very near the end. All that is left is a nice long Epilogue to tie up loose ends. I must say this has been fun, and I appreciate all the favs, follows, and reviews. Now, for all you Malcolm-philes we haven't seen the last of him so don't worry. More to come soon so stay tuned! :)


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 **Enterprise**

 **A little over five weeks later…**

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed sat in the Mess Hall of the NX-01 _Enterprise_. The ship had been in dry dock for the past few weeks undergoing a rather extensive decontamination protocol due to the Sickbay having been exposed to the virus that had come to be named IHHF-1, some abbreviated form of a longer scientific name Malcolm had forgotten. So had the NX-02 _Columbia_ , and if anyone had bothered to ask Malcolm he would have advised them to instead use that particular ship as a subject for a photonic weapons test. No amount of 'cleaning' would be enough to convince Malcolm to step foot in there so he thanked his lucky stars that he still remained the Tactical Officer aboard _Enterprise_.

Naturally, news of the interstellar epidemic had spread to all corners of the world, and fear mongers began touting whether or not Earth was really ready to continue exploring the vastness of space now with the threat of alien pathogens lurking. Of course, the Vulcans were of no help in the matter as they had already spent years trying to slow Humanity's progress so if a little fear over a virus was what it took to slow the Humans down then they saw no reason to help put a halt to the exaggerations. They had even sat on the panel of an extensive debriefing regarding the handling of the catastrophe of which Captain Archer's actions were scrutinized, however the man was eventually exonerated of all guilt, if only by the grace that none of his crew had perished, and by the fact the whole of those serving on the _Columbia_ would have no doubt died had it not been for Captain Archer's intervention. So, once again the poster boy for Starfleet had gotten away with barely a slap on the wrist although Lieutenant Reed did not envy the man his position. He knew that Archer still agonized over the loss of Captain Hernandez as well as his decision to send Commander Tucker to the _Columbia_ who, by all accounts, had forgiven his Captain.

Speaking of whom, Malcolm looked up when he heard a noise only to see Commander Tucker walking over to him with two trays in hand while somehow balancing a cup in the crook of his arm before plopping in the chair across from Malcolm. Commander Tucker glanced at Malcolm who looked quite at home sitting at his usual table, a half dozen PADDs laid out in front of him, with his obligatory cup of tea, and a plate of food. Before Trip had made his presence known he had watched as Lieutenant Reed furiously typed something on his PADD before chuckling to himself.

"Hey Malcolm," said Trip as he began organizing his bounty on the table top.

"Commander Tucker," said Malcolm in automatic reply. It had been a few weeks since he had seen Trip, and he had to admit the man before him looked nothing like the skeletal version he had seen a few weeks prior. He looked nearly completely back to normal, if a little thin.

"What are you laughing about? There's no way inventory is that amusing," said Trip, the former twinkle in his eye slowly returning. Malcolm looked down for a moment quickly clearing the PADD of any evidence and pulling up the inventory log. It was true he had been doing an inventory check up until then, but at that precise moment, before Commander Tucker had walked up, he had received a message from Talas. They were keeping in touch through private encrypted communications. It was not ideal as Malcolm would have preferred to video chat with her, but all audio and video transmissions would have been patched through Communications which meant risking the chance of Hoshi taking notice that Malcolm was receiving subspace transmissions from an Andorian channel, and he was not exactly keen on having to explain that. He still had not told anyone of Lieutenant Talas' and his relationship, and he had no plan to. At least not anytime soon. What he and Talas shared was private, and he was certainly not one to kiss and tell.

The message he received from Talas detailed, in list form, all the things she planned on doing to him the next time they met. It was amusing, and clearly she meant it in jest as Malcolm was fairly certain some of the activities on the list were illegal on several planets. For the past week they had been attempting to coordinate their next shore leave, and Talas was determined that they visit Nura'Ora. Nura'Ora was an icy moon not too far from Andoria which boasted glacier hiking and hot springs, as well as being host to an Exhibit on Historical Weapons of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants held by the Interspecies Historical Exchange which was to be held the same weekend. Malcolm sighed, feeling the change in him; Talas had grown on him considerably over the course of the past few weeks, through their communications, and for the first time he found himself in real danger of falling for her.

"Ah, it's nothing," Malcolm replied quickly, dismissing the image of Talas from his mind that reading her words had conjured. Commander Tucker was still looking at him as though he could see right through his farce which prompted Malcolm to change the subject. "What _is_ all that?" Malcolm sniffed. He had finally taken the time to look at what exactly Commander Tucker had laid out in front of him, and by all accounts it looked like an entire spread of all of Trip's favorite foods including some Malcolm had never seen before.

"Well, we got pan-fried catfish… My mom actually sent Chef her recipe after she heard what happened and demanded that he feed it to me the moment I returned to _Enterprise_ , and I must say it's pretty darn close to the real deal," he said taking a bite. He then began pointing to all the other food items laid out like a feast in portions that looked large enough to feed a small army. "Then we have some conch fritters, some jalapeno cornbread, fried okra, mashed potatoes with southern style gravy, and some pecan pie." Malcolm raised his eyebrows clearly doubtful that the Commander could finish such a spread or would even want to attempt to.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," said Trip. "Chef knows I've gotta build my strength back up. Anyway, I'm not planning on eating it all. I'm not even sure what _that_ is," he said pointing to the plate in the corner. "I've been told it's Andorian Redbat. Corporal Diaz swears by it, but that man is a Human garbage disposal so I don't take too much stock in what he recommends." Malcolm shook his head. For someone as adventurous as Commander Tucker he was not sure even he could be won over by the Andorians' signature dish. Just then they espied Hoshi and Travis entering the Mess Hall. They were holding hands, and laughing about something Malcolm could not decipher from his current location.

"Okay, so how much have I missed exactly? When did that happen?" Trip asked, looking at the two Ensigns who were clearly oblivious to anyone else in the room.

"From what I understand they grew rather close when they were in quarantine together," said Lieutenant Reed.

"Nothing like the threat of death to give you a swift kick in the butt, I guess," said Trip. "Speaking of, I have a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon. Was thinking we could have a drink later."

"Perhaps, I'd better not. You know I don't drink on duty, sir," said Malcolm.

"Listen, can we dispense with the 'sirs', Lieutenant? And you know we aren't officially on duty. Not until 0800 tomorrow so that leaves us with about thirteen hours or so to partake in that drink," said Trip.

"I don't know," said Malcolm. The last time him and Trip had hit the bourbon he had divulged how much he liked Commander T'Pol's bum. He could only imagine what else might come up given the chance.

"Would it help if I made it an order? Besides, I think we should celebrate living through our latest brush with death. Although, I'm thinking we might have something else to celebrate as well…" Malcolm frowned.

"I can't imagine what you mean," said Malcolm, truly perplexed. _What the hell was Tucker on about?_

"Haha, nice try, Malcolm. Are you actually gonna tell me what you were really laughing about when I walked up? Who you were messaging on that PADD?" Malcolm just stared at him in silence. "Yeah, I didn't think so… although I have a fair idea," Trip said smiling as Malcolm gave him a side-eyed look. "Oh, don't worry, Lieutenant, your secret is safe with me." A dozen questions started running through Malcolm's mind. _Had Commander Tucker guessed what happened between him and Talas? Perhaps there some sort of security camera he unaware of in his office?_

"Lord, what gave it away?" Malcolm hazarded, suddenly feeling a cold dread come over him. How humiliating. Commander Tucker started laughing when he noted his distress.

"No, no, it wasn't you, and, really, it was only a guess. Although now I see it might have been the right one. Romero's been talking nonsense in the gym. You know he's got a bigger mouth than Hoshi for gossip," said Trip, still laughing. Malcolm frowned. He would wring the bloke's neck next time he laid eyes on him.

"Don't worry," said Trip seeing the look so plainly written on Malcolm's face. "I'll have a word with him; I doubt he'll want to do any more talking anytime soon." Although, Malcolm shot Trip another side-eye he could not help but smile a little. Commander Tucker and him had come a long way. He could still remember when he thought the man was just some Southern git, but that had all changed after the countless hours they spent together and after Trip had offered his life in place of Malcolm's all those years ago when they were stuck on Shuttle Pod One. And with everything that had happened recently Malcolm had forgotten just how much he had missed his mate.

"Perhaps I will have that drink with you then, Mr. Tucker," said Malcolm, putting emphasis on the word mister.

"Thought you might change your mind," said Trip, cracking one of his signature lop-sided smiles as he took another bit of his meal. "Then you can tell me all about that blue beauty of yours." Malcolm only rolled his eyes as he began sipping his tea. At last, for the moment at least, all was well.

* * *

 **Andoria**

 **8 month's later…**

Thelin stood watching the latest candidate fail miserably at the targeting assessment. His antennae were pointed forward as he watched from behind the glass of the large auditorium where the Imperial Guard was recruiting members for their famed Imperial Watch which personally protected the Emperor. It was only after some recent heroic antics of his own that Thelin had found himself in the employ of the Emperor and in charge of seeing to the recruitment of the newest batch of the Watch.

It seemed that over the course of the past few months things had taken quite a turn for the Andorian. It seemed that fortune had even smiled on him in a way. And although Commander Shran had seemed a little disappointed to see him leave the _Kumari_ , he of all people understood the honor of serving the Emperor directly, and had sent Thelin off with well wishes and, of course, a very fine bottle of Andorian Ale - Reserve Label - that had been aged over eighteen years.

Now Thelin, whether he realized it or not, was a rather attractive and virile Andorian male. Perhaps it was his quiet nature that appealed to women or perhaps it was his new appointment to the Imperial Watch, either way, he had found himself having twice now been assaulted by two females who had attacked him on two separate occasions in an effort form a romantic attachment, as was the Andorian way. Of course he had two options for dealing with the assaults. One was to arrest the women, and charge them with treason, for attacking one of the Watch was equal to attacking the Empire. The other was to mate with them. Of course, being both reasonable and not one to shed blood unnecessarily, he chose the latter both times, as was only natural and becoming of a man of honor. Though in doing this service, a bit to his surprise, he took little pleasure from the couplings. It was not to say the women were not fine specimens of Andorian womanhood, both warriors – well bred, and well trained – but neither were the woman he desired.

After one such dalliance, Thelin awoke sometime later, glancing at the attractive woman sleeping next to him, and found himself desperately wishing she was that odd, pale-skinned beauty, Corporal Carr. Somehow that small Human had embedded herself into his subconscious like an ice bore. Perhaps it was because she had saved his life that he still clung to the Andorian guilt that asserted that he still owed her something even though she had discharged that debt. It frustrated him that he could not be relieved of thinking of her, though he barely knew her, and a small part of him regretted giving his tags to her. Perhaps, she had not realized the significance of the gesture given she was not Andorian. It was not to say he no longer cared for Aries, but he was slowly despairing that he might never see her again, and was now resolved to taking serious thought of the women he had available to him. And the thought depressed him.

And so now he stood alongside Selev, his colleague tasked with assisting Thelin in making the selections for the Watch, and their more junior Guardsman, Tovin, who was tasked with the administrative duties of keeping track of the paperwork, so to speak, as well as hustling off the candidates who did not make the cut.

"Tovin," Thelin called. He waved the younger man over. Tovin rushed forward. "You may dismiss that last candidate. Thank them for their time, and direct them to the nearest watering hole. I'm sure they'll need to partake of their services."

"Yes, sir," said Tovin rushing off. Selev was busy swiping through his PADD, through the endless candidate pool, finding no one worth pausing to glance at.

"There is not one who possesses all the qualifications. Either their marksmanship is on par, but their hand-to-hand skills are lacking, or vice versa… There is not one well rounded individual left this season."

"Perhaps next season when more come of age. What does the Emperor expect? He goes through Guards like water, but the candidate pool is dwindling," said Thelin. Just then Tovin reappeared, looking out of breath. The poor young man was clearly placed in the position at the behest of someone influential as there is no way Tovin had made employment in the Emperor's service of his own accord. Thelin was sure he had would have never seen an overweight Andorian, but Tovin had defied the odds.

"Sir, there is someone here to see you," said Tovin. Thelin frowned. "I would have dismissed them, but they said they know you." Selev glanced at Thelin.

"Do you know what he is talking about?"

"Not at all. Are they a candidate?" Tovin stared blankly at Thelin for a moment before nodding and Selev waved for him to hand him the PADD he was carrying. Selev began scrolling through the candidate's assessment scores.

"Scored in the 98th percentile for hand-to-hand, decent weapons test, quite skilled with an _Ushaan-tor_ , which is to be expected, scored in the top percentile for sharp shooting… Who is this person?" Selev had looked up, his antenna becoming very still as he stared at Tovin.

"She's a rather unconventional candidate," said Tovin.

" _She?_ There have been plenty of women who have honorably served in the Imperial Watch. Your late mother was one such woman," said Selev. Tovin's antennae flattened.

"Of course, but–"

"You know what, how about you just send her in," said Thelin. He was growing rather weary. The day was getting to be rather long. He paced in front of the desk where Selev had sat and turned to face the wall while he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Moments later he heard boots clicking lightly on the ice floor, and his antennae quirked. Almost in the same moment Selev spoke.

"An Aenar? I don't believe it," spoke Selev. Thelin turned.

"No," he whispered. She was no Aenar, though he realized one could make that mistake at a distance. He knew the moment he heard the click of her boots. He would have recognized that sound, that particular cadence, anywhere. As she stepped closer he watched as her features focused, her eyes trained on his, the familiar scar that ran through her lips clearly visible making her all the more beautiful in his eyes. He felt himself smiling despite himself. Finally, after what felt like an eternity she stopped in front of him, so close he could reach out and touch her should he choose.

"Thelin," was all she said, looking up at him. His heart swelled. She had come. It was the beginning.

"Aries," he breathed in return. Suddenly, the future seemed brighter.

 **THE END**

* * *

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to read this story!


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